Jurassic Park: Hunter or Hunted?
by oli101
Summary: Who is more of a predator, man or beast? One hunting expedition is going to find out. Finally complete story!
1. Rekindled Interests

Disclaimer: This story is based on the 'Jurassic Park' and 'Jurassic Park: The Lost World' novels by Michael Crichton. It is also based on all three Jurassic Park Movies, so all credits to the rightful owners. I merely created a story.  
  
It was cooling down now, after a long hot day in Kenya. The orange sun was setting over the horizon, while herds of wildebeest grazed through the grasses. Up on his patio sat Jim Bowman, an Englishman in his late thirties, who held a glass of whiskey in his right hand. He gazed out across the Serengeti, past the mass of wildebeest, and past the distant mountains in what could only be described as an unsatisfied stare.  
  
"Are you all right?" questioned Jim's also British friend, David Bren. He was a younger man of about 25 years, with dark hair and a pair of sunglasses he always wore. Bren had been seated next to Jim, admiring the view across the African plains, when he had noticed an almost troubled look on his friend's face.  
  
"Yes, thank you", replied Jim, quickly tearing his face away from its lock on the horizon, and once again having to realize his friend's presence. Jim had a habit of drifting off when deep in thought, but this also meant he became oblivious to everyone around him.  
  
"I'm just a bit tired", said Jim, "I'll be fine once tomorrow is over".  
  
He took one last look at the now darkening horizon and said, "We may as well go in, it's getting dark and we have a big day tomorrow". He got up and walked inside, with David following.  
  
They were both greeted by a huge variety of animal heads, which were attached to the walls of Jim's trophy room. David always looked at the room in astonishment of his friend's achievements. All sorts were there, from the head of a once defiant lion, to the number of antelope horns found throughout various areas of the room. Practically everything was there. Jim smiled at his friend, who always stared eye to eye with the lion, its eyes staring back, and its mane perfectly preserved.  
  
"I can never get over how impressive your hunting abilities are Jim, you must have hunted every species in Africa", said David.  
  
"Perhaps", replied Jim, he began to stare out of the window. David immediately picked up on this.  
  
"There you go again, there certainly is something wrong, tell me", he asked his friend, who he did not want to be upset, but at the same time be annoyed by the same repeated question.  
  
"No, it's just a silly thing", replied Jim, "Don't worry about it".  
  
David asked again, which was one of his traits, to persist until he got what he had wanted.  
  
"Oh okay", Jim gave up, "The truth is that I've recently found hunting to be quite simple, I see an antelope and 'blam', I have that antelope, there is no more challenge to it".  
  
"But what about the lion, surely that wasn't easy", David argued.  
  
"No it wasn't", Jim smiled, "That lion put up quite a fight, but I make a point of never hunting more than one, antelopes are fine, they're abundant, but species like the lion and elephant become scarce, so I hunt one fine specimen and leave it at that".  
  
"I see", said David, understanding his friend's words, "But you must enjoy taking hunting parties out and showing them how to shoot and take home they're own antelope".  
  
"It's a good income David, but at the moment I'm too tired to continue this conversation", Jim stretched, "I'm going to retire to my bed; I suggest you do the same, the group will be arriving early". Jim wandered off towards his bedroom, though David remained for a brief period to contemplate Jim's words. He finally decided that he too would do better after a good nights sleep.  
  
The hunting party arrived early in the morning, at around 5.30 am. The plan was to hunt in the morning and the evening, with a break at midday when it would heat up considerably. Jim had got up at 4.45 am and was already preparing the Land Rover for the day's journey across the African plains, when an American member of the party with short dark hair and obviously still in his twenties approached the vehicle.  
  
"Hi, my name is Stan Pierce, I'm the one you spoke to over the phone when we organised this trip", he said.  
  
"Of course, it's nice to meet you Stan", Jim replied and shook Stan's outstretched hand, "I'm just getting the Land Rover ready, then all that's needed is the hunting equipment which my friend David can fetch". He gestured to David who was cleaning a rifle whilst he was sat on stool, a few yards away. Both he and Stan exchanged greetings, and then they moved onto introducing the three others in the hunting party.  
  
"That's Hans Kessler", said Stan pointing toward a young German man who was sharpening a large hunting knife, "Bruce Thomson", he gestured toward the Australian, "and also Joanna Hawk " Stan finally gestured toward a slender, beautiful blonde, "We're all eager to set off so we're ready when you are", concluded Stan.  
  
Twenty minutes later all six were on a Land Rover, driving through the long grass, though sticking to a preset path so as not to upset the landscape. All were equipped with a rifle each as well as a fair amount of ammunition.  
  
"Isn't the grass lovely", commented Joanna, as she noticed the sun shining against the grass to give a golden effect.  
  
David suddenly realised that the comment had been aimed at him, and suddenly replied as to not sound rude, "Yes, that's the dawn effect". She smiled at his reply, making eye-contact with her blue eyes.  
  
"It hides the trophies though", said Hans smiling with a cheery laugh. Hans however was renowned as being a ruthless hunter, having hunted in the Amazon where he once decapitated an attacking 8 metre long anaconda with the same knife he had been sharpening just before the introduction. That was his trophy knife, which he always kept on him, "Not that I really mind". Hans raised his prized knife to show to everyone.  
  
"As long as I can get something this time", Bruce suddenly spoke up, "I have better luck at fishing", he said with a smile. Despite being a poorer shot compared to the others in the group, Bruce was an excellent fisherman, having hooked several large Marlin in his time.  
  
The Land Rover eventually stopped atop a hill overlooking the plains, which at that moment in time was occupied by gazelles, wildebeest and a solitary stalking cheetah.  
  
Everyone got out and stretched, then admired the view, gazing down onto they're "prey", and at a placid river where the animals drank. Suddenly a crocodile lunged out at a drinking wildebeest and clamped its jaws around the creature's neck. It then dragged the screaming animal down into the water, rolling in an attempt to break its prey's neck. Eventually the whole wildebeest was submerged and drowned, a red tinge occurring in the surrounding water.  
  
"Well, that's nature I'm afraid, it gives and it takes", said Jim, seeming to ignore the incident and loaded his rifle, which was a 303. Scoped, "Shall we make our way down?"  
  
The party made they're way down the hill to get closer to the animals. Bruce commented, "That croc reminded me of back home in Darwin," he shook his head, "Vicious beasts"  
  
"Well I'd like to hunt it, and who needs a gun", laughed Hans, "I guess reptiles are my speciality"  
  
"We all remember your victory in the Amazon Hans, but we came here to hunt gazelles and other land dwellers, isn't that right Jim?" Bruce asked Jim.  
  
"Oh, well whatever really, as long as we don't harm that cheetah", came Jim's reply as he gestured towards the athletic big cat walking away from the intruders, eyeing them cautiously.  
  
"Well I'd like to hunt that big one over there", said Hans, pointing to a large 4 metre long crocodile basking on the river bank, tiny birds feeding on parasites within the creature's open mouth.  
  
"Okay, but they do get a lot bigger, that's just an ordinary croc, nothing too special", Jim replied.  
  
"But that's huge, they can't get much bigger", argued Hans, unwilling to be dissuaded from his plan on hunting the large reptile.  
  
"No it isn't, a big one would be perhaps 6 metres. If you really want to catch a huge croc come down to Australia and hunt the Salties", Bruce added, "One of those bastards once ate half of a swordfish I'd been trying to catch all day, chomped right through as I was hauling it aboard. Of course I was just glad that it didn't eat me", his face broke into a smile and rest of the group replied with their own.  
  
"I think the largest was perhaps around 8 metres!", he continued but was cut off by Stan.  
  
"I've seen bigger" he said bluntly, he was going to continue but then stopped thinking it best not to.  
  
"Rubbish!" replied Bruce, "You haven't seen the size of the one that was terrorizing the inhabitants of Darwin"  
  
"You haven't seen Deinosuchus", said Stan quickly. The others looked at him. It was too late, he had let slip the secret that he had been trying to keep. The others would soon catch on. He may as well explain.  
  
"What?", questioned Bruce, "Did you make that up?"  
  
"No, it was a...15 metre long crocodile...that lived during the Mesozoic Era"  
  
"And you saw this even though it never existed in your life time", commented Bruce, unsure why Stan would try to win an argument with this sort of nonsense.  
  
"That's not strictly true", Stan admitted, "I work for Ingen".  
  
"Then the rumours were true", said an awestruck Jim.  
  
A long period of silence followed. Everyone took time to realise this information, which none of them could have possibly expected.  
  
"So you actually saw it", asked Jim, with an optimistic tone of voice.  
  
"Yes, but...", Jim cut him off.  
  
"But what of the other species", he said with an almost excited tone of voice, "Are there really Tyrannosaurs, are there really Raptors?"  
  
Stan looked uneasy for a few minutes, no doubt remembering the fatalities from the first park and the botched attempt for an amusement park in San Diego. He finally answered though.  
  
"Yes, there are", he said.  
  
Jim was full of excitement now. David hadn't seen this kind of enthusiasm in him for years. The last time Jim was this excited was when he first started hunting over a decade ago. David suddenly knew what his friend was getting at. He spoke first.  
  
"Your not actually thinking of going there, are you?", asked David. His friend looked at him and gave the reply he had been dreading.  
  
"You read my mind my friend, yes, were going to that Island and I will hunt the most impressive creatures that have ever existed, and you, are coming with me".  
  
"No, I think it's a bad idea Jim, we'll be killed!", but David was cut off.  
  
"Rubbish, it'll be a huge expedition, we'll get together a large hunting party, say, do you want to join us, with a contribution of course?", he had turned to the others and asked them the question of a lifetime. How could anyone turn down an opportunity to see real life dinosaurs? The others all agreed, including Joanna who commented, "This is an experience I could never turn down, to even see these creatures will be the most amazing thing ever". This sealed David's fate as he felt a kind of attachment to this young naïve, but beautiful girl, and didn't want her to get hurt. He wanted to protect her.  
  
"Of course, this is only if you can arrange it", Jim turned to Stan, whose expression had now turned to a hopeful smile.  
  
"I'll see what I can do", he said.  
  
A week later the preparations for the trip were made. Two fairly large boats were being loaded down at the docks with all sorts of equipment from jeeps to communications equipment. The voyage to Isla Sorna was not going to be easy though, and there would have to be plenty of stops on the way to refuel and re-supply essentials such as food and water. The total number of people going on the expedition was around 40, with 20 on each boat. The actual journey across the oceans wasn't much looked forward too, as it meant a dangerous trip around the Capes of both Africa and South America to get to Isla Sorna, but this danger was overlooked by everyone as a sacrifice willing to be made. A trip through the Suez and Panama was overlooked as unnecessary and would be an increased risk of inspection. Jim had decided that he would rather not have the authorities discovering their intent of hunting creatures on an island strictly forbidden by the Costa Rican government. A planned rendezvous 16 miles south of Sorna was going to be held between them and Stan to allow them to slip in undetected.  
  
"I want all of this stripped off", ordered Jim, who was referring to the radar mast on the boat which was to lead. Both vessels were old military craft that would have been in use during the late seventies and early eighties. They still retained features such as the radar systems and also a 20mm cannon on the bow, though the latter was removed and added as armament to one of the jeeps. Various other weapons on the boats, such as a number of 50.cal machine guns were also removed to be used by the hunters on their expedition. The boats were chosen because they were originally transport vessels, and had a sufficiently sized space inside the hull to house the required land transportation.  
  
"Well I must say, you must be almost ready to go", said Stan, who had just appeared next to Jim. Jim turned to answer him, "Almost, I'm hoping to start setting off early tomorrow, what time is it?"  
  
"1935 hrs", was the reply.  
  
"Suppose that leaves a few more hours, all the equipment is ready and just over half of it has been loaded already so we look good to go soon", Jim smiled, he was looking forward to the trip that one week ago would have seemed improbable even in his wildest dreams.  
  
"That's good to hear", said Stan, "I must be off now, back to the States, but I will meet with you at the planned location in about 2 weeks or so, so that you can get past the pesky Costa Rican government".  
  
"Sure, I'll look forward to meeting with you".  
  
"Good trip", said Stan, and with that he turned and went.  
  
Two weeks later, 16 nautical miles south of Isla Sorna, Jim met up with Stan, who had been waiting aboard his private yacht. Jim manoeuvred his vessel alongside Stan's. He could see Stan waiting on deck, clad in summer clothing and wearing sunglasses. Jim gave a friendly wave before exiting the cabin and joining Stan to discuss getting onto the island undetected.  
  
Below deck in the cargo hold were a jeep and two Land Rovers. There was more transportation in the other boat, but the second watercraft mainly held the communications and sensor equipment. The lead boat held the weapons, including the weapons expert, Jack Hunt. He and Hans Kessler got on very well.  
  
Jack was sat down amongst all the hunting equipment on the cold steel floor of the boat's hull, at that moment in time he had been cleaning the barrel of his prized 303. Springfield Sniper Rifle, an antique that his father had passed down to him. So he was oblivious to the approaching footsteps of Hans.  
  
"Jack", Hans happily spoke up, "So good to see you". He took a seat down next to his now acknowledging friend.  
  
"Oh hello there Hans, I didn't see you approach", Jack replied in a Californian accent. He originally had lived in the Rockies, where he was brought up, and so had some hunting experience, but had moved down to California when he moved to university.  
  
"I see you have your father's rifle", Hans went on, "I have my father's pistol". He pulled out a Luger, which he displayed with great pride. Jack smiled at the firearm.  
  
"They sure knew how to make them back then", said Jack.  
  
He continued to clean his rifle. Hans understood the sudden silence; he knew his friend was a very quiet soul who once in his element could not be dissuaded by any means. But this quiet against Han's loud nature still didn't stop them from being very close. They had known each other for years; they had gone to the same university.  
  
On the deck of Stan's luxury yacht sat both Stan and Jim. The sun was shining bright and a young red-haired waitress arrived to offer cocktails to both men. She smiled at both before turning to walk away, but before she did so Stan's voice piped up.  
  
"Oh by the way Jim, this here is my niece, Sarah Remington", the young girl smiled at Jim.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for the drink", he said.  
  
"Yes, and you'll be meeting much more of her...", Stan went on to say.  
  
"How do you mean?" cut in Jim, rather puzzled at what had just been said.  
  
"Didn't I tell you, young Sarah here is going with you to the island", he looked at Jim's horrified expression. Meanwhile Sarah had gone below deck to leave the two men to their discussion.  
  
"Your sending your own niece to the most dangerous place on earth?", he suddenly stood up. Stan did likewise.  
  
"Its not the most dangerous place on earth...", he replied.  
  
"I'm sorry but I will not take that young girl to that island"  
  
"I'm afraid I'd have to cancel the whole expedition if you did that Jim, and none of us want that, not after having come so far". Jim had to ponder that. He stared out across the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, feeling the heat of the sun warm his skin, hearing the water clap against the hull of the yacht.  
  
"It's now or never", concluded Stan.  
  
Jim turned and said something that he would regret for the rest of his life, "Okay then, I'll get her aboard the second vessel, and she will arrive with them".  
  
"It's a pleasure doing business with you Mr Bowman", said Stan extending his hand. Jim shook it, but with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, and then turned back to his boat. A brief blind spot in the Costa Rican radar allowed them a window to slip into the island undetected. This was set to happen again to allow the other boat access.  
  
Jim turned to look at the girl who had once again appeared on the deck.  
  
"See you on the beach", he called. 


	2. A Beach Landing

Upon hitting the beach of Isla Sorna, Jim threw his arms up in the air with great happiness and a sense of accomplishment. They had managed to get past the Costa Rican government, and he could now get down to what his main motive of coming to the island was. To hunt raptors!  
  
"YES", he called out, "We made it".  
  
He heard Hans's excited laugh from behind, turning to see the young German exiting the vessel with a rifle in hand. A moment later a hoard of others clambered out of the boat and onto the sands of Isla Sorna. All of them were calling out in excitement, unable to believe that they themselves were here on the island set foot on by so few. Jim appeared on the exposed deck of the boat.  
  
"If we all help unload, we can start this expedition a lot sooner", he ordered in a voice half filled with command and half filled with overwhelming excitement. The others happily obliged and within a few hours they had unloaded everything onto the warm sand.  
  
"The other boat is a few hours behind", explained a young fair haired man, who looked to be in his early twenties. He was the boat's navigator, and was very good friends with the other navigator, who was currently on the second boat. Unfortunately his friend was still undergoing a course in navigational skills, and hadn't completed his training yet. In short, his friend was a bit rusty.  
  
"Thank you Steve", Jim acknowledged, "But they should be in sight by now, I do hope nothing terrible has happened to them, Stan's niece and my good friend David are on board that craft, as well as Ms Hawk".  
  
"I'm sure they'll be fine, sir", replied Steve, "Mike will eventually manage to get here; he'll probably be a bit late though".  
  
Jim chuckled at the reply.  
  
"Just call me Jim, Steve, for now we can set up a camp for the night, and I here Bruce is planning a rather large barbeque for dinner".  
  
"Sounds great, Jim", said Steve with a smile, and he turned and walked up towards the others who were currently residing at the top end of the shore smoking, drinking and chatting in general.  
  
"Where the HELL are we? Mike", yelled the captain. The second vessel was still bobbing on the ocean, with a confused navigator who had no idea where he was going.  
  
"I don't know, sir", Mike replied, "I don't understand the navigational equipment on this vessel, it's different to the one I trained with".  
  
"DAMN", shouted the captain, "We must be 80 miles off course".  
  
Mike felt awful. He had thought that the training he had completed so far would have been sufficient enough to navigate the boat to the right place. He was the only man on board that knew he was far from trained. The door to the cabin opened, and in stepped David Bren, with a hint of both annoyance and confusion in his voice.  
  
"We should have been at Sorna two hours ago, what's going on here?", he asked.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry sir", Mike spoke up, "It's all my fault, I have no idea where we're at".  
  
David sighed, this young boy, probably still at college, had gotten them lost out in the largest ocean in the world. Still, we can't be too far, can we? thought David.  
  
"We all know its your fault", snapped the captain in reply to Mike's words. He was young as well, but not too young. A blond haired 30 year old, who had recently left the Navy. His time being commanded by countless officers during his years spent in the lower ranks had given him little tolerance for scatterbrained navigators.  
  
"Go easy on him, you're not in the Navy anymore", spoke out David against the captain's comment.  
  
The captain turned away and got back to steering the vessel, but otherwise shut up.  
  
"Now, can you find anyway of getting us to Sorna?", he asked Mike.  
  
"I can give it a try", came the reply.  
  
"Then that's all I ask", said David, "Call me on the intercom when you have found something".  
  
And with that he exited, so he could return to Joanna who he had previously been spending time with. They turned out to get along very well, and he also, under Jim's request, kept a watch over young Sarah who at that moment in time was reading in a deckchair, totally immersed in her novel.  
  
On Sorna a temporary camp had been set up, but Jim was still wondering to himself where the other boat could have got too, even if it did have a nautically challenged navigator on board. As he was pondering over this he heard someone yell a question from up the beach.  
  
"Can we explore a bit?", was the request.  
  
It was Hans, who was excitedly waving his Luger in the air.  
  
"Only fifty yards or so, God knows what lurks further in there", yelled Jim.  
  
Hans and about five others happily strode off into the jungle. Meanwhile Bruce had set up a barbeque, with the help of a couple of others, and was spearing large chunks of swordfish onto skewers. Seafood was his speciality at barbeques, and everyone was looking forward to feasting on the variety of fish he had caught on the trip over, including one rather large barracuda.  
  
After going twenty yards into the forest, Hans and his friends stopped. The foliage was already having its effect on the light and atmosphere of the place. Suddenly, Hans caught sight of some movement behind a fern. A moment later and a small bipedal, green lizard jumped out at them and settled on a log. It looked at them, and they looked back.  
  
"Oh yes, I get the first kill", said Hans, quietly but with a cheer in his voice.  
  
"Yeah right", said one of his accomplices, who was faster to draw his pistol.  
  
He took aim and fired. The shot, at point blank range, blew the creatures head right off, leaving a bloody stump. It then slumped and fell to the ground.  
  
"You idiot!", said one of the men, who was standing by Hans. He was a German, and none other than Hans' brother, Herman.  
  
"What did you do that for?", he said, "And you Hans, you should be ashamed for trying to kill it in the first place".  
  
"Hey, we are here to hunt", said Hans, "If you don't like that then what are you doing here?"  
  
The two arguing men were oblivious to what was happening behind them. But the other three weren't, they slowly backed away, with a hint of caution on their faces.  
  
Twelve other creatures, of the same species as the deceased, had gathered together and were standing in a line on the log, chirping and squeaking noisily, almost in a note of anger.  
  
Hans and his brother stopped quarrelling and turned to watch this spectacle, and take in more detail of the strange lizards. The creatures were about the size of a chicken, so not very big, yet there was an uncomfortable amount of them. They seemed to have very delicate skulls, and Hans caught a glimpse of needle like teeth in one of the lizard's mouths. All of a sudden one jumped up and landed on Hans' shoulder.  
  
"Agghh, get this thing off me", he shouted in surprise. His brother grabbed the little beast and threw it to the ground. The rest of the pack also jumped off the log and at the five startled men. Three successfully landed on Herman, and viciously started biting at him.  
  
He screamed as a pair of jaws, and two rows of needles, bit into his earlobe. He struggled momentarily, but managed to get rid of them all. The others had run back to the beach, except Hans who had stumbled and was now trying to protect his face from snapping jaws.  
  
Herman kicked it off his brother's back, and helped him up. But as he did this he was bitten in the ankle. Once again he yelped in pain, and he and his brother rushed back to the beach, where Herman collapsed on the sand.  
  
Jim rushed to the scene, then said aloud, so that everyone could hear, "No more wandering off for now, we will wait till the other boat arrives, we will all be a lot safer as one large group".  
  
"Now what exactly happened", he asked Hans.  
  
"We were attacked Jim, and I think Herman could be injured, what the Hell are those things anyway?"  
  
One of the men who had fled the attacking lizards lifted the creature's dead headless body and showed Jim. It was the same man who had made that 'kill' and he said, "It was one of these, they massed and then attacked". The accomplice to have taken the first shot felt a sense of guilt. He was a similar age to Hans, but came from Arizona. His name was Mark Harley, and he looked on in concern at Herman lying in the sand.  
  
Hans had surprisingly managed to avoid being bitten, but Herman had, with bite marks to his head and leg. He groaned as he lay there in the sand, but showed no signs of pain.  
  
"I'll call the other boat, and get in contact with Sarah, Stan said she knew about some of what lived here, she may know what attacked you", informed Jim.  
  
He pulled out a satellite phone, dialled the number and called.  
  
David's phone rang. He picked up and answered.  
  
"What's wrong, are you all right?", asked David detecting the note of anxiety in Jim's voice.  
  
"I'm fine", he said, "Its Herman, Hans' brother, he was attacked and was bitten, I need to speak with Sarah she may be able to tell me what it was".  
  
David handed the phone to Sarah who continued the conversation.  
  
"Hello", she said, "How can I help you?"  
  
"Sarah", came the response, "What is the small chicken sized dinosaur that stays together in groups, and how dangerous are they?"  
  
"Oh, you mean Compsognathus, yes it's a small biped which..."  
  
"Someone got bitten, and they are falling asleep, what's wrong, how can we help him?", cut in Jim, with desperation in his voice. He was worried for Herman.  
  
"Compies have a mildly venomous bite", explained Sarah, "They use it to subdue their prey before they feast, we have the required medical supplies on the second boat", said Sarah, "But we need to get them to him in 24 hrs, for now you should be able to stabilize him with the stuff provided by the medi-packs, but that'll only do for 12 hrs, in total we have around 36 hrs".  
  
"Or?", asked a nervous Jim.  
  
"Best not to think about it at the moment", said Sarah sympathetically, "I'll go and see the navigator, and see how far we are, good luck for now". She hung up and rushed to the cabin.  
  
As she opened the door, Mike turned and was immediately stunned by her beauty. Immediately he fancied her, she was of a similar age, and stunningly attractive.  
  
"How far are we?", she asked.  
  
This put a lot of pressure on Mike. A bewildered navigator he knew wasn't a good first impression for a girl that he wanted to end up getting to know a lot more. He pondered what he could say, but in doing this he noticed something on the horizon. It was land.  
  
"Very soon", he suddenly said. He felt great happiness; he had finally found it and done his job. There were no other islands for miles, so it had to be Sorna.  
  
Sarah thanked him, and went back out onto the deck, leaving Mike to announce his discovery on the intercom.  
  
"I do hope they get here soon", said Jim.  
  
"I'm sure Mike will have managed to find us by now", replied Steve, who was seated with Jim, "They do have a GPS after all".  
  
"I didn't know that we'd have to be on the lookout for the little buggers as well, there must be thousands out there on this island, all waiting to inject their poisonous bite on unsuspecting people", continued Jim.  
  
"They're not all bad", said Steve, "Hey Ethan", he called, "Come over here, and bring your little friend too".  
  
Jim looked up and saw in Ethan's palms, a tiny quadruped, resembling a miniature sauropod.  
  
"It's a Mussasaurus", explained Ethan, "From the Late Triassic period, this one is only a juvenile".  
  
Ethan had a major interest in palaeontology as well as the organisms associated with it. He had found the miniscule dinosaur not far from the shore. Fortunately for it, he had managed to avoid treading on it and had scooped it up to show the others. The creature had eyes relatively large for its size, indicating its age.  
  
"Then where's its mother?", asked Jim, who couldn't help but feel a bit concerned, "And how big exactly would she be?".  
  
"About 3 metres", replied Ethan, "But I get your point; I'll go and put this little critter back where I found it".  
  
As Ethan walked back to the site of his discovery he was greeted by the parent. Though it was herbivorous he felt panic coming on. This was the largest lizard he had ever seen, and no one on earth would know how it was going to behave in a situation such as this.  
  
Everyone else had spotted the adult mussasaurus lumbering out towards Ethan. Rifles and pistols were cocked and prepared, so they could be quick to use if the necessity came.  
  
Ethan bent down and carefully placed the juvenile onto the ground, where it walked off towards the parent. The adult then bent down its long neck, secured its jaws around the infant and carried it off into the undergrowth. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
We're going to have to be really careful, thought Jim. Ethan Jarvis was, like so many of the others, a young member to the expedition. It is the young ones that risk everything thought Jim. He had seen that occur all too much while on safari, and he knew it would happen here as well.  
  
His attention then drifted to the other boat. Night was falling and they should definitely be here by now. He picked up the phone and called the second boat.  
  
Mike answered.  
  
"Hello, this is Mike, the boat's navigator speaking", he said.  
  
"Ah, Mike, just the person I need to speak with, I need to know what your position is, you can find that out by using the GPS systems..."  
  
"But we've arrived, we're here on Sorna", said a confused Mike.  
  
"What?", Jim said with surprise, "We haven't seen you, where about did you land?"  
  
"On the beach, hang on, I'll switch on the radar, then I'll know where you are", Mike was feeling more confident after having found the island. He knew how to operate the radar quite easily, and was sure that it would solve the problem.  
  
He flicked the switch and a green outline of the island appeared, with a single dot indicating the boat he was currently on. There was no other boat though.  
  
"That's strange", said Mike, "The radar hasn't detected you, but it has detected other things...from inland".  
  
"Like what", asked Jim, who was curious to know.  
  
"It looks like miles of fencing, and various dotted bits around the whole area..."  
  
"Oh", said Jim rather bluntly, "Problem solved then".  
  
From over the phone Mike heard some agitation in Jim's voice.  
  
"Huh", he said.  
  
"Your not on Isla Sorna, your on Isla Nublar, the original site", said Jim. 


	3. An Island Apart

After hearing this Mike found himself sitting alone in the cabin. Darkness had fallen now, and he could hear the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, and thousands of crickets chirping in the forest.  
  
"We have a problem sir, a group have already gone out into the forest".  
  
"Oh God", came Jim's reply. After a brief period of silence, in which both men felt a feeling of fear, Jim asked, "When did they go, and who exactly is 'they'?"  
  
"About half an hour ago, I'm not sure exactly who, but Sarah and your friend David are with them".  
  
"Who's left on the boat then?", questioned Jim.  
  
"Me and...uh...I would say about half of the crew, maybe more".  
  
"Okay, now listen, get on the phone and call David, tell them to come back, and get to our location as soon as possible, no, in-fact, sooner than that", ordered Jim.  
  
Jim hung up at that moment leaving Mike in a terrible state. It was all up to him now.  
  
He stared at the daunting radar screen, and observed the inverted teardrop shape of Nublar. He showed up off the south-east coast of the island, but he could not tell where the others were.  
  
Meanwhile, David and the rest of the group he was leading trekked on through the jungle. The air was humid, and a variety of inhuman noises coming from all around kept the whole group alert. He hacked through the vines and other vegetation that blocked the way.  
  
"How far have we come?", asked a tired Sarah.  
  
"Perhaps a few miles", answered David, "But I agree, it isn't easy in this climate".  
  
"I'm just glad the dinosaurs are staying away, we haven't seen one yet have we?", said another member of the group, Peter Stiller. He was a dark haired bearded man of about 45, a lecturer in palaeontology, who had come on the trip with the intent of studying the dinosaurs, rather than destroying them.  
  
"Well Tyrannosaurus can stay well away from me", said David, "How many are there on the island anyway?", he said turning to Sarah.  
  
"Not sure, but there were originally two in the original park, but of course, because they bred there are likely to be a lot more...", she stopped talking for a moment and stared. They had come to a clearing, and over on the other side lay a building, a road running in front of it.  
  
"I recognise that building", she said, then her face filled with anxiety, "We're not on Sorna, that's why we couldn't find Jim's boat, we're at the original park, where it all started".  
  
"You look very worried, I'm sure we can still get to Sorna in time to save Hans", said David. But Sarah's expression didn't exactly make him feel comfortable.  
  
"It's not that, everyone inside, we can seek shelter, I'll explain there, but not here", she rushed towards the building, the others followed in a mixture of confusion and fear. The building turned out to be the old visitor centre, where the original tour would have started.  
  
Once everyone had entered the building and followed Sarah into the old laboratory, she calmed down a bit.  
  
"Why, what's wrong, raptors?", asked David inquisitively, he wondered whether they may be the cause of Sarah's sudden panic. He wasn't too concerned of the fabled intelligent predators since he was armed, and as far as he was concerned, as long as he saw them first he could take care of them without too much hassle.  
  
"No, no, but a creature of similar aggression", she paused.  
  
David thought over this. He knew about the raptor's aggression and intelligence, but he did not realise however that Ingen would have cloned another dinosaur with those same traits, and use it as one of the fifteen original species in Jurassic Park.  
  
"And what would that be?", spoke up another member of the group, a Russian man named Boris Ivanovitch. He hadn't slept very well the night before, and the stubble on his face showed that, and here he was, waiting to hear what Jurassic predator had given Sarah such a fright. From the look of things, he prayed that he would at least be alive that night.  
  
"Metriacanthosaurus", she said.  
  
"Never heard of it", replied the fifth member of the group, a brunette girl, similar in age to Sarah.  
  
"Ah yes, I know what you mean Sarah, it was a theropod of the Late Jurassic, wasn't it?", said Peter, the name of the beast having been acknowledged by at least one other of the group, other than Sarah.  
  
"That's right", she said.  
  
"It was a Spinosaur, discovered in the Corallian Oolite Formation in Dorset, Great Britain, though it was thought to be more of an ancestor to the Spinosaur family", Peter went on, explaining the creature to the rest.  
  
"Spinosaur? It had a fin?", enquired David.  
  
"Not as such, its vertebrae had neural spines twice as long, similar to in an Allosaur, that's what Metriacanthosaurus means, 'Medium-Spine Lizard'", filled in Peter.  
  
"And you say they were aggressive?", said Peter, asking Sarah.  
  
"Yes, but the Spinosaurs that were bred as a rule tend to be..."  
  
"You mean like that monster currently residing on Sorna", said Boris. He had read about Alan Grant's second journey to see dinosaurs in a Moscow newspaper.  
  
"I was really referring to Baryonyx, another species that was created for the original park, though they mainly eat fish they should never be approached, but I don't think we need to worry about them here, they would be down by a river or other large water source", explained Sarah.  
  
Everyone knew though that they would all eventually have to go back outside, so that they could return to the boat and arrive at the correct destination, and that invoked fear in the group".  
  
"Hey, how should we get back if those things are lurking out there", asked Peter, who now saw a bigger picture.  
  
"The same way we came in", replied the brunette who had acknowledged the beast in question as 'something she had never heard of'. Her name was Karen Kingsbridge, and she didn't like Sarah much at all. There was something about her, and also the fact that Mike Quinn, the clueless navigator, obviously had a crush on Sarah, whereas Karen herself had admired him from day one of the trip. Poor Mike she thought, he must be completely oblivious to the real social situation he is in.  
  
"Well I definitely suggest a different route", said Sarah, "The one we took to get here was actually uncomfortably close to the Metriacanthosaur paddock, which is where I imagine their territory would be, and its probably why we didn't see anything on our journey here". She was uneasy being in charge of the group mainly due to here age, but since she knew about most of Ingen's species, she had no choice. Sarah then had an idea.  
  
"Wait, if these computers still work we can locate every dinosaur on the island", she gestured towards the old PCs sitting in the lab, "Ingen had them all tagged you see, so that they would be easy to find if..."  
  
"I don't think they would have left the power on, Sarah", commented Karen, who thought the idea highly unlikely due to that fact.  
  
"We can but try", Sarah said with a smile, she turned to the nearest computer and switched it on. To everyone's amazement it worked. This got Peter seriously thinking. He thought back to years ago, when the catastrophe at Jurassic Park had occurred. He remembered hearing that a woman named Ellie Sattler had managed to get the power restored, but then everyone had evacuated the island. He was quite sure that the power would have short-circuited by now. As he pondered this, a pair of eyes from outside of the lab stared at him and the group through the window.  
  
Sarah meanwhile had loaded up the interface, and had just opened the correct program when a loud clang came from outside the lab, which startled everyone. Everyone was silent, but no further noise came.  
  
The computer screen showed a whole overlay of the island, which was covered in moving dots, almost all of them far from the Visitor Centre. There were a few quite close by however, too close in David's opinion; a couple of dots were shown just outside their location.  
  
"The good news is that there are no Metriacanthosaurs nearby at all, however, those things outside are Herrerasaurs and quite a danger", she informed everyone; "I suggest we exit the building from the back, they look like they're not going anywhere". She opened a window on the screen, which showed the view through a security camera, and it displayed two dark green creatures standing around and sniffing at the air. About 3 metres in length they were similar in size and shape to a raptor, and could easily enter the building if they needed to. As Sarah opened the door to the lab, she noticed an equipment tray had fallen to the ground. That must have been what that noise was, she thought. The reality of the situation came fully to her now. The Herrerasaurs had probably seen them, and most likely been in the corridor, but they had obviously found no interest in the group, for the time being anyway. She stepped out into the corridor and looked through the entrance to where the creatures currently had their backs turned.  
  
"Follow me", she whispered, "Down this hall, but tread quietly, if those things decide to come after us we've had it".  
  
Though David was armed, he only had five shots, and he didn't want to waste them on the two creatures outside. He decided that he would probably be unable to draw a bead on them if they charged him anyway. The group proceeded cautiously, following Sarah down the corridor. Only when they reached a turn at the end of the hallway, and were safely concealed away from the eyes of potentially dangerous predators did they breathe a sigh of relief.  
  
Back on Isla Sorna Herman's condition had been stabilized using drugs from the emergency medical storage. He lay there in the sand paralyzed, but awake. He looked up at his brother who sat eating what looked like a piece of barbequed chicken.  
  
"Mmm Compy taste good", said Hans, "Don't worry; we've saved you a piece".  
  
Herman could half believe it; his adventurous brother was eating the dinosaur that had earlier been shot, though he himself was unsure whether he would devour his share when he came to.  
  
Sarah and the others stumbled in the dark. She had led them down a metal stairway and they were now walking around underground through a network of corridors; some dimly lit, others pitch black.  
  
"I remember my uncle took me here when the park was still under construction", she explained to them, "This underground system will lead us to the North Dock; I'll call Mike on the satellite phone and tell him to manoeuvre the boat around to pick us up".  
  
"If he can manage it", she then added with a slight laugh.  
  
"The phone won't work down here", said Karen, as if to make Sarah seem a bit of a fool after she had done so to Mike.  
  
"Of course", she replied, "There's an exit to the surface nearby, it leads into a second lab, I won't be a minute". Sarah made her way over to a door in the wall of the corridor, which she then opened to reveal another metal staircase, this one spiracle.  
  
"I'll come with you", said Boris, "Just in case you require assistance". He pulled out a 54. pistol from a discreet holster, a souvenir from his Spetz Natz days, though he kept that piece of information to himself.  
  
Sarah looked slightly annoyed however, probably because she wanted them all to think she was able to do the task herself, thought David.  
  
They both emerged in the second lab, which was a lot tidier than the first. In fact it could easily have been in recent use due to the neatness of the equipment, which had been left carefully stacked, and papers arranged in neat piles on the surfaces. Probably wasn't in use during the disaster here, concluded Boris.  
  
While Sarah made the call, he noticed a light coming from another room. He went to investigate, as he heard Sarah start talking to Mike.  
  
The second room filled Boris with surprise. He had entered the old hatchery, but the equipment was still running. He saw to his amazement that a single egg lay under the light on one of the hatcheries. Without really thinking, he picked it up and hid it away, thinking it more cruel to leave a hatchling to abandonment, than have the danger of a monster emerge from it. He also spotted something else; it looked like a report or something similar. He picked it up and read.  
  
Species List  
  
Genome must be at least 50% before breeding can begin, in this case 100% so only the best quality creatures are created.  
  
Spinosauria: Metriacanthosaurus parkeri  
  
'Medium Spine Lizard'  
  
Info: 8 metres, 1 tonne  
  
Number: 12 shipped  
  
Note: Extremely aggressive, take utmost care  
  
  
  
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus  
  
'Spine Lizard'  
  
Info: 17 metres, 5 tonnes  
  
Number: 2 embryos  
  
Note: 5 months to develop  
  
Baryonyx walkeri  
  
'Heavy Claw'  
  
Info: 9 metres, 2 tonnes  
  
Number: 8 embryos  
  
Note: 8 months to develop  
  
Suchomimus tenerensis  
  
'Crocodile Mimic'  
  
Info: 11 metres, 4 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 43%  
  
Allosauridae: Allosaurus fragilis  
  
'Different Lizard'  
  
Info: 11 metres, 1.5 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 66%  
  
Acrocanthosaurus atokensis  
  
'High Spine Lizard'  
  
Info: 11 metres, 3 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 35%  
  
  
  
Carcharodontosaurus saharicus  
  
'Shark Toothed Lizard'  
  
Info: 14 metres, 7 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 78%  
  
Gigantosaurus carolinii  
  
'Gigantic Lizard'  
  
Info: 14.3 metres, 8 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 18%  
  
Tyrannosauridae: Tyrannosaurus rex  
  
'King Tyrant Lizard'  
  
Info: 12 metres, 7 tonnes  
  
Number: 4 embryos  
  
Note: 2 months to develop  
  
Albertosaurus sarcophagus  
  
'Alberta Lizard'  
  
Info: 7 metres, 1.8 tonnes  
  
Number: 6 embryos  
  
Note: 10 months to develop  
  
  
  
Tarbosaurus bataar  
  
'Alarming Lizard'  
  
Info: 10 metres, 4.5 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 6%  
  
  
  
Eotyrannus lengi  
  
'Dawn Tyrant'  
  
Info: 4.5 metres, 600 kg  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 14%  
  
Ceratosauria: Dilophosaurus wetherilli  
  
'Double Crested Lizard'  
  
Info: 6 metres, 400 kg  
  
Number: 9 embryos  
  
Note: 3 months to develop  
  
Ceratosaurus nasicornis  
  
'Horned Lizard'  
  
Info: 6 metres, 800kg  
  
Number: 6 embryos  
  
Note: 4 months to develop  
  
Carnotaurus sastrei  
  
'Flesh-Eating Bull'  
  
Info: 7.5 metres, 1 tonne  
  
Number: 5 embryos  
  
Note: 5 months to develop  
  
Torvosauridae: Megalosaurus bucklandii  
  
'Big Lizard'  
  
Info: 10 metres, 1 tonne  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 28%  
  
  
  
Torvosaurus tanneri  
  
'Savage Lizard'  
  
Info: 12 metres, 2.5 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 33%  
  
Deinonychosauria: Utahraptor ostrommaysorum  
  
'Utah Raider'  
  
Info: 6 metres, 1 tonne  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 65%  
  
Deinonychus antirrhopus  
  
'Terrible Claws'  
  
Info: 2.5 metres, 75 kg  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 55%  
  
Velociraptor mongoliensis  
  
'Swift Raider'  
  
Info: 2 metres, 60 kg  
  
Number: 18 embryos  
  
Note: 4 months to develop  
  
Megaraptor namunhuaiquii  
  
'Big Raider'  
  
Info: 8 metres, 1.4 tonnes  
  
Number: research still under development  
  
Note: Genome currently 92%  
  
Boris understood what was going on, though he wanted the report to have been merely a relic left by the lab workers when they evacuated the island back in 1993. It was evident that someone, somewhere, was still trying to clone dinosaurs successfully. However, he found it deeply disturbing that the list consisted of just carnivores. He also noticed that only the Metriacanthosaurs were shipped, whereas everything else was still being researched or had been taken as embryos. Where they were taken though, was unknown. He carefully hid the report and returned to where Sarah was just finishing her call with Mike.  
  
"Okay", she said, "Mikes bringing the boat around, he should be there by the time we arrive at the North Dock compound". She and Boris then went back down below the surface, returning to a relative safety, but as they did so something caught Sarah's eye. Boris turned to look as well. A yellow pair of eyes were staring straight back at them. It was the Herrerasaur. And the door to the lab was slightly ajar too.  
  
For a moment the two humans didn't move, they just stood in horror at the ancient predator. In a sudden movement another Herrerasaur appeared, eyeing up the humans. The Herrerasaurus, a Late Triassic predator, was one of the earliest dinosaurs. Its whole body was a dark green, and its jaws were full of curved teeth, which were ideal for grasping prey, and never letting go.  
  
"On three...", whispered Sarah, who knew they couldn't stay in that position for ever, "One..."  
  
One of the creatures suddenly let out a raspy snarling roar, and ran at the lab door. Since the door had been left slightly open in the first place, it came into the room quite easily, but tripped over its own feet. Its companion however, came inside with better balance and threateningly opened its jaws at Boris and Sarah.  
  
"Go", she screamed.  
  
The two ran for the staircase, pounding there feet against the metal steps as they rushed to get back into the labyrinth of underground corridors.  
  
The others were clearly bewildered by the two who rushed off of the stairs and down the corridor, but clearly picked up on the fact that something was up. David turned to see one of the green theropods struggle to get down the stairs. It looked at him and let out another roar, which had a gurgled clicking sound resonating in the back of its throat. This made it sound truly ancient, and especially terrifying. The others followed suite, pursuing the moving shapes of Sarah and Boris off in the distance.  
  
As he ran, David fumbled around with rifle bullets, trying to get one loaded into the weapon so that it could be used when needed. He dared not look back as he was the last person to have started running, and he knew he would be the first to be taken if the creatures caught up.  
  
Herrerasaurus, though not as quick as the infamous Velociraptor, was still pretty fast. The two had managed to clear the stairs by now, and were chasing the humans with claws outstretched, so that the immediate grasp of prey could occur.  
  
The corridor seemed to go on for ever; David could feel the lactic acid building up in his legs and a sharp pain develop in his side, but he dared not stop for a break. Behind him he could hear the sound of clawed feet hitting the concrete floor, and the harsh breathing from the creatures themselves. He estimated that they must be only a few metres behind.  
  
At last the end of the corridor came into sight; but the method of escape didn't look too good. A ladder leading to the surface would prove tricky to climb up before the Herrerasaurs collided with the dead end. He could see Sarah clambering up towards the surface, the others doing likewise. As he reached corridor's end he braced himself, and leapt as hard as he could.  
  
He came into contact with the welcoming steel of the ladder's rungs, and with not a moment to lose, hauled himself up and away from a fatal encounter. The two theropods smashed against the base of the ladder, and angrily looked up to see David climbing towards the surface. They let out another otherworldly roar, which sent a shudder down David's spine.  
  
Mike had received Sarah's orders loud and clear, and was making his way toward the North Dock at that moment. The boat was commandeered by the Captain who had yelled at Mike earlier, but since Mike could understand simple compass navigation there was no shouting at present.  
  
The boat was going at full power up around the island heading north, and then veering off to the west. The first dock they came across was actually the east dock, but Sarah had thoughtfully told them precise orders, "Go up to the north and sail around the coast, then stop at the second dock you come across and we'll be waiting there", she had said.  
  
Mike hoped he would impress her by making sure that the boat reached the North Dock as quickly as possible.  
  
David emerged out into the darkness, to be greeted by Peter.  
  
"Thank God you made it Mr Bren, we were afraid for a minute there that they had got you".  
  
He was then approached by Boris who apologised to him.  
  
"Sorry David, if there had been time to explain the full situation I would have done so; I just hoped you would get the message and run".  
  
"That's okay", said David gasping. The run for his life had been indeed exhausting, but he was glad he had managed it without firing a shot, "But I think I'll keep this thing loaded at all times, for when we reach Sorna", he then said.  
  
Everyone smiled and was just generally glad to be alive.  
  
Sarah then came back to the group; she had been down at the end of a jetty looking for the approaching boat. She had sighted it and told everyone to wait down at that end.  
  
They complied, but as they were setting off a terrifying roar erupted out of the jungle. It was the roar of a Tyrannosaurus, though the only person who knew that was Sarah.  
  
Whatever it was, it must be big, thought David. He stood with the others at the farthest end of the jetty, impatiently waiting for the boat to pull up alongside, so that they could all board and regroup with the others on Sorna.  
  
His experience at Nublar had taught him a lesson in impressions. After the Herrerasaur chase, his opinions on raptors changed dramatically, and he began to dread any encounter with one. 


	4. Back Together

At dawn, the following day, Jim woke to see an object on the horizon. He yawned, then stretched and pulled out his binoculars. Through them he saw the distinctive shape of the second boat. He smiled.  
  
Along the beach were the remnants of the previous night's barbeque, surrounded by a few khaki green tents. Lying in the sand sat Hans, who had watched over his paralyzed brother the whole night; though a sleeping bag placed right next to him would suggest otherwise.  
  
"Hans, our friends have finally arrived", Jim said.  
  
Hans smiled and turned to his brother, who smiled back.  
  
"You'll be better soon", he said, "In a few minutes we'll be able to treat you".  
  
The others were still asleep, but the three men who were awake gazed out onto the horizon, and watched the approaching shape of David's boat.  
  
Steve was awoken by the rumbling engine of a boat, and the crunching noise of the sand as it landed on the beach. He knew his friend had finally made it.  
  
He popped his head out of the tent and saw a smiling Jim greeting somebody. That must be David, thought Steve. He then noticed his own good friend Mike step out of the boat's cabin, and take in the warmth of the morning sun.  
  
"Mike", called Steve. He exited his tent and ran towards Mike, who cheerily waved at him. This also awoke some of the others though, including Bruce, who felt that he needed maybe a few more minutes sleep.  
  
"I knew you'd make it", Steve said to his friend, as he happily greeted the now satisfied navigator.  
  
"So where is the casualty?", asked Sarah, who was holding a syringe full of 'compy bite' antidote.  
  
"He's right over here", said Jim gesturing towards Herman, who was now showing optimisim since he knew he could now be cured. Sarah approached him, kneeled and injected the liquid into one of his veins. As she did this, David looked into the medical supplies inventory to see what else there was. Numerous vials and bottles lay inside, including a large one labelled 'dilophosaur eye wash'. David didn't like this, as it gave him the idea that this type of dinosaur could fire poison as a projectile; and quite rightly so. He just hoped that he didn't come into contact with that particular specie.  
  
"Okay, you'll be fine after a few hours, where you'll get your movement back", explained Sarah to Herman. As she got up, David asked her about the dilophosaur.  
  
"What exactly are dilophosaurs?", he said.  
  
"They are very beautiful, but very deadly carnivores, with the ability to spit venom", she explained to him.  
  
"Spit?", he said, "So that's why there's the eyewash in the medical inventory".  
  
"Yes", she replied, "But don't worry too much about the, I don't think they're found on this island, only Nublar". David grimaced.  
  
The others were just waking up now, opening the entrances to their tents and allowing their eyes to adjust to the light. Slowly they got up and welcomed their friends from the other vessel.  
  
"Right, lets get this show on the road, shall we?", proclaimed Jim, now that everyone was back together.  
  
Two all terrain Land Rovers drove through the Jungle, crashing through branches and splashing through puddles, as they followed a very rough path. The vehicles were very tough, and so were used to make a pathway for the rest to follow in their jeeps and motorbikes. Though the forest was thick with vegetation, Jim, who was in the lead Land Rover, made sure not to cause too much damage to the surrounding environment. He made sure that David, in the second LR, did likewise. All that he wanted was to create a trail that they could follow back to the boats when it was time to leave.  
  
Eventually the forest cleared, and the vehicles drove out onto plains, which had a river running through, as well as a lake. Jim slowed the LR, and stopped, his eyes fixed on the landscape before him. He heard the halt of the other vehicles as well. Slowly he opened the door and got out. Before him was the most amazing sight he had ever seen.  
  
At least a hundred herbivores, of all different species and sizes, beheld an awesome sight. Though Jim wasn't quite sure what exactly they were, one man did. Peter walked over to him and explained what they all were seeing.  
  
"You see those huge long necked dinosaurs, with the whip like tails?", he said, his voice full of exhilaration, "Those are Apatosaurs".  
  
Jim nodded in acknowledgement, as he gazed at the massive grey walls of moving flesh. The creatures themselves were only 150 metres away.  
  
"The other long necked one you see there, the taller one, is a Brachiosaur", continued Peter, talking clearly, making sure that the others could hear.  
  
Steve and Mike stood side by side, along with Sarah, who also did her share of explanations. Steve nodded in acknowledgement to the facts, though Mike was frankly, more interested in her.  
  
"Those ones with the crests are Parasaurolophus", she told them, "And those with the tail clubs are Ankylosaurs".  
  
"Oh yes, I think I've heard of them", piped up Mike, "What are those?", he then asked, pointing towards a group of the herbivores, which had rounded crests.  
  
"Corythosaurs", came the reply.  
  
She then scanned the landscape with her eyes, and observed a Stegosaur walking on its own.  
  
"I don't need to tell you what that one is", she chuckled.  
  
Steve laughed in response, but Mike was a little embarrassed. He didn't know. His friend looked at him.  
  
"You seem a bit sheepish", said Steve.  
  
"No, not at all", replied Mike, "I think I've left something in the jeep". He walked off, praying that Sarah hadn't taken him for a fool.  
  
Hans stepped forward in front of the awestruck Jim. In his hands was a 303. hunting rifle, which he been preparing during Peter's talk.  
  
"Ready", he said, "Time to start the hunt I think".  
  
Jim looked at him in surprise, as did the majority of the group.  
  
"I can understand the hunting of carnivores" said Jim, "But why would you want to kill these majestic giants?"  
  
Hans smiled, then ignored Jim's question and climbed into a jeep.  
  
"Looks like it's just us Mark", he said to a dark haired man, "Come on, you drive, I shoot".  
  
Mark Harley had obviously forgotten all about Herman's encounter, as he simply sat down in the driver's seat, and started up the engine. Ethan protested at that moment.  
  
"You can't kill them; Jim, stop them", he said.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do anything, but I do agree with you, the purpose of this trip is to hunt carnivores, and not murder innocent plant eaters", was Jim's reply, his own voice hardening with irritation. He was beginning to look at Hans as a bit of an ignorant fool, and he had already seen that in Mark.  
  
The jeep revved up, and drove off towards the living mass of gentle creatures.  
  
"Yeah", yelled out Hans in exhilaration. His rifle poised over the bonnet. Mark manoeuvred the jeep through a herd of Gallimimus; the ostrich like dinosaurs scattered in panic. Then the killing began.  
  
"What jerks", said Karen, as she observed the slaughter in disgust. Hans meanwhile was quite happy, as he blasted the swift runners, which he considered to be no more than moving targets.  
  
Jack was disappointed with Hans. He thought his friend could at least manage some respect for the animals. Still, this was only the start of the trip, he thought, there is still time for his attitude to change.  
  
Meanwhile, Hans' attention turned to the Apatosaurs. They were panicking as well as the rest of the herbivores. Though they had very small brains, they seemed to realise that this small metal monster had the ability to take lives, and so they feared for their own.  
  
"Stop the jeep", said Hans, "And watch".  
  
Mark did so and watched at the frightened creature. He arrogantly marvelled at the fact that even though they were so much smaller than the huge sauropod, they still had the ability to terrify it.  
  
With a stable platform to shoot from now, Hans smiled as he peered through the scope. He chose the small target of the Apatosaurus's head and manoeuvred the crosshairs until it lay over the desired area.  
  
As soon as the creature's swaying neck was still enough, he fired off a shot. The bang from the gun rang out across the plains.  
  
Watching this sickened everyone else. The gargantuan body of the Apatosaurus fell to the ground with a humongous thud. Its mate had escaped death, but now looked at its fallen partner with a great sadness. It moaned for its loved one.  
  
"Bastard", said Jim under his breath.  
  
"Hahaa", yelled Hans triumphantly, "I'm truly a marksman", he boasted. The gentle giant he had just slaughtered lay perfectly still, the blood from its macerated head seeped into the flowing waters of the river.  
  
The background noise had somewhat changed however. Before, it had been an orchestra of normal social sounds, such as the musical calls of the Parasaurolophus. Now it was a mixture of grunts and bellows, and a towering Brachiosaur lumbered up to the vehicle.  
  
"I think we need to get out of here, Hans", said a nervous Mark.  
  
"No, hold on, I can take him", Hans replied, as he struggled to load a round into his gun.  
  
"No, Hans, we have to leave now", panicked Mark.  
  
The Brachiosaur rose up into the air, standing on its hind legs, directly over the jeep. Before Hans could protest Mark kicked the vehicle into reverse and sped backwards just as the gargantuan creature came crashing down.  
  
As the jeep stopped, to allow Mark to change gear they heard a noise behind them. All of a sudden a huge clubbed tail swung into the back of the jeep, barely missing them. Both men screamed.  
  
The jeep's boot was smashed up badly, and Hans turned and fired a shot at the Ankylosaur who had attacked them. The bullet simply ricocheted of the animal's heavy armour, and simply angered it more so.  
  
Mark pressed down on the accelerator and zoomed off away from the source of attacks.  
  
They were however, still travelling in the wrong direction, which was away from the others, who stood out of harms way, in a mixture of feelings. Some of them felt angry, a few felt anxiety. Jim felt both.  
  
Then it happened. Mark didn't look where he was going and they entered the jungle. As the vegetation started smacking against the bonnet, Hans noticed a major detail in the topography; the ground in front of them suddenly stopped.  
  
Before they could do anything it was too late. The jeep flew over the edge and rolled down the steep hill. Hans was flung from the vehicle, but Mark was inside for the whole journey to the bottom.  
  
The jeep lay on its back, Mark lying unconscious within it. Hans, who had been caught on an exposed tree root had only sprained his ankle, but was otherwise too shocked to do or say anything.  
  
Jim had seen the jeep suddenly vanish, and was deeply concerned for the two men's well beings, even though they had just carried out a murderous deed.  
  
"Oh Shit", said Jim, clasping his hands over his head, "Quickly, into a vehicle, we need to rescue those two idiots before anything else can happen to them". Though deep down he felt satisfied that they had been punished for they're misdeed.  
  
Within in moments, the people who had watched Hans and Mark with disgust were setting out to rescue the two men from what probably was a very dangerous place to be. As the assortment of transport drove over the plains, the massive plant eaters bellowed at the vehicles in agitation. Soon Jim had reached the point where Hans and Mark had disappeared.  
  
"Hans", he called, "Mark, are you all right".  
  
He heard a groan from beneath where he was standing. It was Hans.  
  
"Stay there Hans", he said calmly, "I'll throw down a rope".  
  
As Jim went back to the LR to grab what he needed, David peered over the edge to survey the situation. Hans was only 8 metres or so down, but the wrecked jeep containing Mark had fallen all the way to the bottom, which was about 24 metres.  
  
Jim returned with a rope, but just as he threw it down they heard a noise. It wasn't very loud at first, just the crack of a few twigs, but then it emerged from the forest. A Ceratosaurus.  
  
It had come to investigate the damaged vehicle, which more than likely lay in its territory. Everyone froze, as the creature approached the inverted jeep, except for Hans, who started groping for his rifle. It lay just out of reach, caught on some ferns.  
  
"Hans, for God's sake, stay still", hissed Jim, through his teeth.  
  
"But I can kill it", he said arrogantly, fumbling around for his weapon. He stretched out one arm and managed to grab a hold. However he lost his balance and ended up sliding all the way down to the bottom, where he lay with a mouth full of dirt, his gun once again lost from him.  
  
The Ceratosaur let out a roar of surprise, sounding a lot like that of a leopard's roar. The noise did indeed have a purr to it, and Hans looked up to see the creature looking down at him with confused eyes.  
  
Damn, damn, damn, thought Jim. If that dino doesn't kill him, I most certainly will.  
  
The Ceratosaurus had a reddish pink coloration, which covered all of its body, though it was darker on its head and neck. Broad black markings ran down its back, and its skin was bumpy, especially on its neck and head. On the end of its snout was its most distinctive feature, a horn.  
  
It wasn't too big, only about 5 metres in length, but it was big enough for Hans. Mark was also coming too by now, and although he was upside down, he could make out the scaly feet of the theropod.  
  
Jim loaded up a rifle and aimed it directly at the head of the Ceratosaur. Meanwhile, Karen was idly standing, observing the environment around her, rather than Hans lying in the path of a meat eater. She couldn't care less what happened to Hans, she had already decided he was an arrogant arsehole. As well as Karen, Sarah didn't care too much either. She knew that he would probably be okay anyway, as long as he didn't do anything foolish...  
  
Before the thought could come into her head fully, she and the others heard the bark of a pistol. Hans had drawn his Luger from a hidden holster and had just fired a round into the animal's flank. It roared in anger as it felt the bite of the bullet, and turned towards Hans, snapping its jaws as a threat.  
  
Another gunshot, Jim had fired a round with the intent of missing, in order to scare the beast. It worked and the Ceratosaur retreated into the forest, full of bewilderment.  
  
Poor creature thought Sarah, it doesn't understand. Poor creature thought Karen, it missed out on a meal. 


	5. Discovered Passion

While Hans and Mark were being rescued from the bottom of the drop, Joanna and David set off in one of the Land Rovers to find a location worth setting up camp. Jim had told them to cross the plains, which is what he had intended on doing in the first place, before Hans and Mark had made a complete mess of the situation. The Land Rover rumbled over the gentle slopes, and both David and Jo observed the landscape.  
  
"So beautiful", said Jo, her voice full of a passion for nature.  
  
David liked to hear this in her voice. He smiled at her, and asked out of curiosity.  
  
"Why did you originally go on a hunt in Africa, if you love nature as you do?".  
  
He really asked because he wanted to make conversation with her, but having said it, he really did start to wonder why she had come.  
  
Jo smiled at him.  
  
"I do love the natural world", she said, "But I also love mankind, and so I respect both ways of life, including man's instinct to hunt".  
  
David felt he kind of knew what she meant. Instead he replied, "How about we stop here for a bit".  
  
He hoped he could use this time, with a full view of the most awe inspiring sight in the world, to get to know Jo that bit more. They both got out of the vehicle and sat down on the grassy hill. The sun had gone behind the clouds, so it wasn't too hot, and a fresh breeze blew over the plains.  
  
"Yes I do love mankind", repeated Jo, she then turned to David, "But I also love you".  
  
David couldn't believe it. His love interest felt exactly the same for him, as he did for her. One in a million, his mind triumphantly told him. They drew closer, and they're lips touched for the first time. They kissed for a long time. In the distance, the melodious calls of the Brachiosaurs could be heard.  
  
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself", said Jim angrily to Hans and Mark, now that they had been pulled out of trouble. Both men were in a complete state, with torn clothes and in Hans' case, a particularly muddy face.  
  
Hans smiled as Jim predicted he would, but Mark looked a little worse for wear, and everyone could tell that he had probably learnt his lesson and would be more careful in future. But not too careful thought Jim, otherwise he'll be of no use.  
  
Herman approached his brother, and gestured to everyone else that he needed to have a private word. The others got the message, including Mark, who walked off with the help of a friend, since he was in a dazed state.  
  
"What did you do that for?", said a frustrated Herman.  
  
"Oh come on, I'm alive aren't I", replied Hans, completely missing the point.  
  
"First you kill innocent creatures; then you almost kill yourself and wreck one of our vehicles", said Herman angrily, "And then you pissed off that horned dinosaur, all in under half an hour".  
  
Hans had paid particular attention to the word 'innocent', which caused him to protest.  
  
"Innocent", he exclaimed, "These dinosaurs were created by man, so it is our choice what we do with them, not theirs".  
  
"You're impossible", Herman ended the conversation with a cold stare, and walked off.  
  
"They're only clones", Hans mockingly called, "Only clones".  
  
"So what was that we just encountered?", asked Jim, as he approached Sarah, who herself had just climbed into a jeep.  
  
"Ceratosaurus nasicornis", she replied, "Ingen bred them after realising that the first Ceratosaurs they bred for Jurassic Park, the Proceratosaurs, wouldn't be as popular as their larger cousins".  
  
"You sure seem to know a lot about these creatures", continued Jim, "And all from one trip to the original park I gather, even though you were only a child then".  
  
Sarah smiled at him.  
  
"I guess dinosaurs are my passion", she replied, "I've read most of Ingen's dinosaur reports, especially the ones on carnivores", she continued, as she started the ignition on the jeep.  
  
"I would quite like to discuss the raptors", said Jim.  
  
"Sure", answered Sarah, "We can do that later".  
  
"So I'll be off to meet up with Jo and David?", she then said, changing the subject.  
  
Everyone was clearing up after the rescue, and it was Sarah who was first to go and meet up with David and Jo, who themselves had left twenty minutes earlier. Jim nodded in reply to Sarah's obvious question.  
  
"But take someone with you", added Jim, "No one is to travel alone".  
  
"Sure", said Sarah, "Hey Mike", she called.  
  
Mike looked up in astonishment.  
  
"Do you want to come with me?", she called again.  
  
"Yeah alright", his face full of excitement, though he personally hoped that didn't show up too much.  
  
He got into the jeep and they were off. Jim smiled at the two leaving youngsters.  
  
Mike sat in the passenger seat; rifle butt sitting in his lap. He felt nervous since he was now alone with his crush, and he didn't want to screw it up. As he pondered what to say Sarah asked him a question.  
  
"So, what are you interested in?", she said.  
  
Mike felt a bit better about the situation now. He found it much easier to respond to a question, rather than think one up himself.  
  
"Well...erm...", he mumbled in reply. He was half tempted to say 'at the moment, I'm interested in you', but he knew that would be a bad idea, so instead he said.  
  
"I like to travel...and...er...dinosaurs", he half-fibbed.  
  
Though he knew hardly anything about dinosaurs, he did indeed find them incredible, though he had only just realised that 24 hours ago.  
  
"Oh really; the same as me then", said Sarah, "What's your favourite?" She spoke with an interest in Mike.  
  
Now he'd done it, he had to search his memory for the name of a dinosaur, otherwise he'd blown it. He did remember something. He'd read it in a book somewhere.  
  
"The...uh...Velociraptor", he said slowly, and clearly.  
  
"Same here", replied Sarah, intrigued by this share in opinion.  
  
Mike sensed that they would now probably discuss raptor's, which wasn't too good as he didn't know anything about them, or any other dinosaur, apart from the name.  
  
No discussion came however, and Mike took a few seconds to register that the jeep had stopped moving. Sarah was just staring ahead at something, her hands resting completely still on the wheel. Before them was the other Land Rover. No one was in it though. Behind it, rose the head of a Ceratosaur, which let out a purring roar at the sky. It had seen them, but was taking no interest.  
  
Sarah cursed, and imagined the worst had happened with Jo and David.  
  
It was too her great relief then that she noticed two figures down by the river. Mike was a little too worried about the Ceratosaur to notice though.  
  
Another of the creatures appeared from over the hill, followed by a small 2 metre long juvenile. It was now obvious that the three theropods they could see where a family. By the looks of it they were going down to the river for a drink, and had merely stopped on the way to investigate the strange vehicle before them.  
  
"We can't let those things see them down there", Mike suddenly spoke up, through a tightened throat. He did worry for Jo and David, but more so for himself at that moment, as the dinosaurs were that bit closer to him than they were to them.  
  
The largest Ceratosaurus started sniffing at the Land Rover, especially near the exhaust where it could smell the unusual whiff of petrol. The windows had been left open, probably to prevent the wheel from heating up too much thought Sarah. The inquisitive theropod didn't neglect this, and proceeded to stick its head inside. It could just fit, and the creature licked at the leather seats. The small juvenile also licked at the vehicle's chassis, but suddenly let out a stunned squeak. It was apparent that the creature had recieved a small static electric shock on its tongue.  
  
Both Sarah and Mike watched in amazement, and humour, at this spectacle. The small juvenile was also checking out the vehicle, casually test biting the bull bars on the front.  
  
Then, what Sarah imagined would probably happen, did. As the creature tried to withdraw its head from the window, it got stuck. This gave it quite a fright, and as it struggled, it hit the horn, causing the all two familiar noise to blare out.  
  
Both Jo and David, who had been enjoying another passionate kiss, were alerted at that moment. They turned to see the carnivore withdraw its head, accompanied by the scrape of metal and a few gouge marks in the window frame. The three Ceratosaurs finally made their way down to the river for a refreshing drink, albeit not without one last curious look at the motionless vehicle.  
  
Jo and David, they're love now discovered, had decided to take in the view by the riverside together, just for a few moments. However, the thirsty Ceratosaurs coming their way complicated matters. They held each other lovingly for a second, as they looked at the oncoming creatures.  
  
"Okay Jo, we need to get out of the way of those dinosaurs", he said calmly and softly, "I hope you don't mind getting wet". Jo smiled in acknowledgement. Then, still holding her protectively, he slid themselves down into the water, gently kicking to create distance between them and the carnivores.  
  
The dinosaurs had reached the bank by now, glancing at the two with a curiosity. The water was lovely and cool, and Jo actually relished every moment of it, as did David. Their skin welcomed the cooling currents after having been exposed to the hot and humid outside temperature. With intrigue they watched the beasts tongues lap at the waters surface.  
  
Jo admired how even carnivores could be a loving family. David thought likewise, but he couldn't help but notice that the largest of the three had stopped drinking and was maintaining direct eye contact. A very unnerving feeling settled over him, and he let out a few more gentle kicks to create more distance.  
  
Jim could see this as well. Through binoculars he peered at the situation, with several thoughts running through his mind. What the devil were they doing there anyway? was the main query he was having.  
  
He himself had just climbed into the second Land Rover, and was just about to meet up with everyone else, when he had heard the horn go. As he watched this he fumbled around for the satellite phone, and hoped David was carrying his.  
  
As they floated in the water, bobbing like a cork, David heard the muffled noise of his phone ring. He slowly pulled it out of his pocket, thinking how inconvenient the call was. Answering quietly, he said.  
  
"Hello".  
  
"David, what's going on down there?"  
  
He was pleased to hear Jim's voice, though his actions of answering the call seemed to have caused further agitation to the Ceratosaur.  
  
"I think, the er, situation is under control", David answered, "Though any help would be appreciated".  
  
"Okay, we're making our way down, just hang on for a few minutes, though once your safe I am afraid I will have to ask you what you were doing down there".  
  
"Sure", said David, "Sure".  
  
He was calm, but there was a note of anxiety in his voice that Jo could detect. She held him tight, to give him the feeling of protection that was to help them through this.  
  
A loud snort came from the creature, as it suddenly took a step back.  
  
It then lunged itself forward, and into the water. Jo screamed, but as the Ceratosaurus hit the surface, the momentum carried them to safety. Or so they thought, as they suddenly realised that they were caught in a current and being swept down the river. The dinosaur swam after them, but gave up shortly, as the current had got stronger and had pulled them further and further away.  
  
Jim had leapt into action as he watched this. The Land Rover drove across the grassy plains at top speed. Sarah and Mike had also started their own rescue operation, driving along the riverbank, in hopes of being able to through a rope.  
  
The situation got worse when the river divided into tributaries, Jo and David being sucked down one, which led off into the dense jungle.  
  
"Its okay, its okay Jo, I've got you", said David, making sure that Jo's head was above the water. The currents were less strong leading into the jungle, but he knew of the greater amount of dangers that would lurk within it. What will find us in here? he thought. He managed to pull himself, as well as a grateful Joanna, out of the water, and up onto the bank, but by now they were completely disorientated, their only hope resting on the ability of Jim and the others to track them.  
  
They were both laughing though, after their abrupt escape.  
  
"We made it Jo", he said with a great big grin across his face.  
  
"That was good thinking, we got a wash as well as escape", she replied, "But what am I going to do with my wet clothes?"  
  
She said the latter with a saucy smile, adding the statement, "They'll probably take a while to find us you know".  
  
David got the idea, though he thought it rather impulsive for the present situation. They immediately embraced in a passionate gesture.  
  
"We need to find a shallow part of the river", ordered Jim. He was becoming increasingly worried about his friends, who had vanished out of sight into the thick jungle. I just hope that they're still alive, thought Jim.  
  
The plan was that once a section of river had been found that was shallow enough to transport the jeeps and Land Rovers across, the hunting group would be split into two. One team going off to set up camp and a rendezvous point elsewhere, while the other, led by Jim, would go on a rescue mission in search for David and Jo. The team heading off in search of a new campsite consisted of a fairly large group, around half of the expedition. They took the vehicles they needed, and set off, leaving Jim, and everyone else behind by the churning waters of the river, setting up an inflatable raft.  
  
Hours had passed and light was fading. David lay alongside a sleeping Jo, in a feeling of comfort and unease. He was getting anxious now because Jim still hadn't located them, and darkness was falling. I got more on this trip than I originally bargained for, he thought, half-smiling to himself.  
  
Something suddenly made him sit up in fear though. The background noises that usually accompany a jungle were silent. He could hear the odd cricket chirping, but he did not perceive the noises of geckos and other small fauna. He immediately sensed that they were being stalked.  
  
Slowly, he turned around, and stared into the bushes behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled, and a lump rose in his throat. Jo slept soundly beside him.  
  
Straining his ears to hear, he heard a creature breathing. It was a hoarse sound, but he could not see where it was originating from due to the dim light. His gun was back at the Land Rover, over a mile away, he thought to himself. And he had lost his expensive satellite phone in the river, after the sudden departure from an afternoon drink with the Ceratosaurs.  
  
He looked at the bush, with a sense of anger as well as apprehension. He hadn't come this far to get eaten by some hungry dinosaur. I will not go silently into the night, thought David, and Jo gives me a good reason to fight. He looked back at his beautiful partner, his first major relationship ever, and it wasn't going to be ended by a peckish dinosaur.  
  
The bushes rustled further, and out of it appeared what he had been dreading the most. A Velociraptor.  
  
Unknown to him, the raptor had been watching them ever since they had arrived at their location. The two humans display of affection had given the raptor great bewilderment, as it watched the two unfamiliar creatures roll around, emanating a variety of noises as they did so.  
  
It had actually guessed that this display was probably something to do with courtship, but the main thing on its mind now was food. Are they for the taking? it thought, as it eyed David and his sleeping mate.  
  
As it watched out of curiosity, David, the adrenaline now coursing through his veins reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. The knife in question was a proper hunting knife, and perfect, he thought, for the present situation.  
  
He looked up into the inquisitive eyes of the raptor, which stared back, and he told it.  
  
"You're not the only one who can kill!"  
  
He lurched forward and hit out against the dinosaur, which let out a confused yelp. Jo was woken by this and immediately got up to see to her horror, her lover grappling with a Velociraptor. David had lurched so hard that the raptor had fallen to the floor.  
  
"Run", he yelled, "I'll follow once I've sought this thing out".  
  
She did so with hesitation, though eventually she took her lover's request and made her way down the river, further into the jungle, but away from the temporary danger.  
  
He stabbed again with the knife, penetrating the raptor's chest, warm blood oozed out of the gaping wound. The creature squealed in pain. This sound sickened David, so he silenced it forever, with one hard slash to the raptor's neck. Blood sprayed out and covered his clothes. The creature stopped struggling at that moment, its muscles went limp.  
  
He got up, and looked at the dead beast. He had killed it because it looked like it was going to do the same to him and Jo. However, unknown to him, the raptor had merely been investigating him out of curiosity, and had passed the idea of them being a source of food. Raptors were too intelligent to just eat anything they found, and regarded creatures of a similar intellect with both fear and respect.  
  
David stepped back, weary from his fight, and ran the direction Jo had gone, calling her name so he could locate her. His feet splashed loudly in the shallow water of the river now turning stream, so he did not hear Jim approach with Sarah, Bruce and Peter, in the rescue raft. They turned the corner too late, to see the disappearing David recede into the distance. They all took a deep breath when they suddenly noticed the lifeless body of the Velociraptor lying in the dirt, its cause of death clear. 


	6. Hidden Horns

"David, wait", yelled Jim, "Its us, we're here to rescue you".  
  
He jumped out into the warm knee-deep water, and walked slowly to the remains of the raptor. It lay there with its eyes staring blankly; it was obvious it had been killed while in a state of surprise.  
  
How did he do it? thought Jim. Melee combat with a Velociraptor would have been no easy feat. There must be much more to my friend than originally thought.  
  
The other members of the rescue party were approaching now, having made their way along the riverbanks. Jim bent down and felt the blood, still flowing, from the raptor's wound. It was still warm. He must have fought it seconds before we arrived, thought Jim, no wonder he ran off. Jim himself had come to this island with the intent on hunting raptors, and the presence of one almost certainly meant that their would be more not too far away. Though he had a difficult decision, he ended up making the right choice. He saw the safety of his friends to be more important than a chance to hunt Velociraptors.  
  
Meanwhile David had caught up with Jo, who had been running with tears streaming down her face, utterly terrified of what she had just seen. He managed to slow her down and together they sat down on a large smooth-sided rock. She cried into his shoulder, and shook like a leaf while he tried to calm her down by holding her close to him.  
  
He too was terrified. It was becoming more apparent that they may never get off the island alive. He stared over her shoulder into the unknown. They had run into a small opening in the forest, a clearing, where they could observe the uncomfortable sight of the orange sky turning to a dark blanket, dotted with pin points of light.  
  
The other uncomfortable thing about the clearing was a noise, which David couldn't quite put his finger on. It was a familiar sound, but indistinguishable at the same time. The noise was a type of wheezy drone, and it was coming from somewhere in the clearing. Jo had stopped sobbing by now and was sitting in silence, having been overcome by fear.  
  
The strange sound was occasionally punctuated by pauses, and the tone sometimes wavered. It almost sounded like something was snoring. David passed the thought from his mind as preposterous, yet he realised that it would explain the situation quite clearly. He looked around the area, his eyes coming to rest upon a very odd shaped rock. It was plain grey, but it was covered in a very rough pattern. He also thought the rock may have been moving, but thought, and hoped, that it was just the failing light playing tricks on his eyes.  
  
"We need to go back now, I don't think this place is safe", he whispered into Jo's ear. A sudden chill down his spine had told him that the place was far from safe, and that they should leave immediately. He could feel an unwelcomeness in the very air that surrounded them. As he continued to stare at the rock the odd noise carried on.  
  
"Why?", said Jo, through the tightest throat she felt she had ever had. She didn't want to go back. She had seen a monster there, and was determined to stay.  
  
"No, we need to go", David felt panic spreading. He tugged gently at Jo in a bid to get her to come, but she remained firmly rooted to the ground, "Please Jo", he whispered again, his voice scratchy from the lump in his throat.  
  
The weird noise that had been droning finally stopped. Panic gripped David then like a cold icy hand, as he looked at the large misshapen rock. It moved.  
  
What appeared to be a head rose up, and snorted. It had what would be best described as a bull dog snout, with wing like horns protruding above its eyes. It turned and looked at the two humans, who had stumbled into its den.  
  
David started shuffling backwards, Jo reluctantly being pulled along with him. His heel caught on a rock and he fell back. Jo had caught on by now, that something else must be terribly wrong.  
  
The awoken creature was a Carnotaurus, a bizarre carnivore with the ability to blend into an environment much like a chameleon. It had obviously disguised itself from the larger predators as a rock, as it preferred to sleep during the day, and hunt at night-time.  
  
Only 300 yards away stood Jim, holding a rifle and looking very cautious. It was clear that raptors were around, and he did not want to be caught off guard. They were still searching, and David had not been the only one to notice the arrival of night.  
  
"Its getting dark, I suggest we split up", suggested Jim, "One group will go back to camp, the other can come with me, any volunteers?"  
  
He looked around. Mike spoke up.  
  
"I'll come...", he was suddenly cut off by laughter. It was from the captain that had been piloting the boat with Mike.  
  
"You?", the Captain continued, "We're looking for survivors in a dense jungle, you couldn't even find a great big island with the help of radar".  
  
This remark hurt Mike deeply, and he walked off, his head held low. Sarah followed him and made sure he got back safely. She was going back anyway.  
  
"Ethan how about you, and you captain", said Jim, "Everyone else should go back and regroup with the others, we hope to be gone not too long".  
  
A terrified scream then sounded out through the forest, followed by a roar. Jim cocked the rifle, a hardened expression on his face, while the others picked up the pace and walked quickly but relatively calmly down the stream and back to the vehicles.  
  
David had to lurch forward as the Carnotaur's jaws snapped inches from his thigh. He stumbled into a bush, catching a glimpse of sharp teeth from within the creature's mouth. As he lay face down in the foliage, he braced himself for jaws to clamp around his body, but strangely, the attack never came. The large carnivore had turned its attention towards Jo.  
  
As it turned, David got a better look at it. It had surprisingly pathetic arms, almost comically small compared to the rest of its body. This didn't make the creature something to laugh at however, as it had jaws lined with sharp teeth and powerful horns atop its skull, with the ability to gore. Jo had pulled herself up into a nearby tree, and although well above the height of the Carnotaur's gape, it nevertheless persisted by slamming its head against the trunk. Once again, thought David, I will have to defend my love. He searched around in the dark and found a rock, a sharp rock, with jagged edges. Getting to his feet he picked it up and prepared to make an almost suicidal decision. He hurled the rock as hard as he could, and it hit the animal in the neck. The beast turned its attention back to David, an angry and bewildered look in its eyes.  
  
Just then David felt very insignificant. He felt his time was finally up. There was nowhere to run, and he would die at that moment in the jaws of a prehistoric beast; that he had never even heard of.  
  
A gunshot rang out.  
  
It was the most welcoming sound he could think of. He saw Jim walk out holding his rifle, pointing it menacingly at the Carnotaur. The creature looked in amazement at the small creature that had just emitted a very loud noise, but it nevertheless snarled at Jim threateningly. Another shot from the gun persuaded the creature to back off.  
  
"Don't worry David, I've got you covered", Jim said, calmly but firmly, not taking his gaze away from the predator.  
  
David made his way slowly towards his friend and saviour, though he had not forgotten about Jo, who had started to climb down from the tree; down the hidden side of the trunk of course. She dropped to the ground, but as she did so the Carnotaur, which had originally started receding into the jungle, changed its actions.  
  
Its skin tone changed, going kind of blurry, and in moments, had effectively disappeared against the background of the forest. The creature's outline could still be seen though, but barely, and before Jim knew it he was being charged.  
  
He managed to jump out of the way just in time, also pushing David into the ground. Jo fell back on her own accord, with a shriek of fear and surprise. The Carnotaurus rushed pass them, having obviously neglected them as a possible meal.  
  
"Oh God", said Jim getting up, "Its heading straight for Ethan".  
  
Ethan and the Captain walked side by side through the shallow stream. Both were armed with pistols, though the Captain's was a 44. Magnum, which was much more powerful than Ethan's 9mm. In fact, it wasn't even his, he had just been given it by Jack, the weapons expert. He held it cautiously in his right hand, nervously as well, while the Captain had his firearm drawn and pointing out at the blackness in front of them. Ripples started to appear on the surface of the stream.  
  
"What was that?", asked Ethan. Then they both heard a noise, it sounded like snorting and in the distance there was the sound of splashing water.  
  
"Ssh", replied the Captain, "Up ahead, I think something's coming".  
  
They saw the stream being disturbed now, water being flung up against the bank, but that was all they saw.  
  
"Where the hell is it?", panicked Ethan. He was just a student, and definitely not prepared for such a situation. The gun in his hand scared him almost as much as the unknown 'thing' coming at them. It was up to the Captain to fire off the shots. He did so into darkness, the heavy bang of the gun carrying out through the night air. A shrieking roar came and the Carnotaurus materialised out in front of them, the bullet having had little effect, merely bounding of the creature's horn.  
  
Ethan turned to run, but it was too late. The Carnotaur put its horns to good use, and swung its head into him. He flew through the air and smashed against the base of a tree, and was smacked unconsious in the process.  
  
The Captain managed to fire off another shot, but because he fell as he squeezed the trigger, the bullet missed the creature totally, and only managed to draw its attention to him. His pistol fell from his hand as he landed in the stream and was immediately lost in the murky disturbed water. The Carnotaur opened its jaws upon him, and began to enjoy its first meal of the night.  
  
Its mouth clamped around the Captain's arm. He yelled in pain as he felt the teeth penetrate his flesh, and rip through his muscle and tendons. Carnotaurus' jaw was relatively weak compared to other meat eaters such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, and could not bite through bone, so the Captain's arm was yanked and dislocated, until the flesh tore at the shoulder and the beast pulled his limb away from his body. It chewed hungrily on the acquired piece of flesh, swallowing it quickly before turning back to deliver a killing bite.  
  
Placing its jaws firmly around his ribcage, it plunged its teeth into both sides of his torso, puncturing both lungs and liver, causing blood to gurgle up from the victim's throat. The carnivore shook its head, violently shredding the vulnerable organs within the now deceased's body.  
  
Jim, David and Jo appeared from behind the creature, having followed its track in a bid to at least try and save Ethan and the Captain's lives. It was to their great dismay when they saw the beast gorging on the lifeless body of the Captain. Joanna noticed the spectacle too and vomited until her stomach was empty, while David sympathetically patted her on the back.  
  
In anger at the creature Jim levelled his rifle at it.  
  
"You bastard", he sneered. He fired and hit the creature in the back of the neck. It bellowed in pain, but rather than attack, took its morsel in its mouth and charged off into the jungle, turning the pigments in its skin back on in a bid to camouflage itself. Everyone was relieved though, to see the beast was now gone, and a way back to the relative safety of the group seemed a lot better. 


	7. Evidence of an Ambush

David emerged out of the dark forest, the unconscious Ethan being dragged along behind him. Joanna walked a few steps behind, arms folded and shivering. They had expected to find one of the vehicles waiting for them, so they were very surprised to find not only that, but the rest of the group waiting for them as well. Steve, who had been perched on the hood of a jeep, jumped to his feet and walked over to David, an obvious look of anxiety in his eyes.  
  
"Where's Jim? we've lost total contact with the other group who went off earlier", he asked, "We kept trying to reach them through the communications unit in the Land Rover, but there has been no response".  
  
He then noticed Ethan's bruised body lying on the ground, where David had temporarily rested him. He then saw Jo, looking at him through terrified eyes, as well as the absence of the Captain. It then dawned on him the severity of what they must have just been through. David looked at Steve with a simple tired gaze and replied to the query.  
  
"What"? he said, "What do you mean lost contact?"  
  
"They won't reply, we have no idea where they are, I fear something terrible has happened, where's Jim, I need to speak with him immediately", Steve said, becoming more fearful of the island. The latter, he thought, was an almost definite answer.  
  
"Jim went to find the Captain", David responded bluntly. He then staggered to one of the jeeps, and rested against it. Steve curiously replied.  
  
"Why? Did he run off or something?", he asked.  
  
David looked at the bewildered young man.  
  
"No", he said.  
  
A gunshot rang out in the night sky, causing some of the group to 'jump' at the unexpected sound. Two more shots then followed this. David looked uneasily into the darkness surrounding the jungle, as did the rest of the group.  
  
Jim had caught up with the Carnotaur, and fired at the beast's belly, intending to make it suffer after it had devoured the Captain. The creature groaned in pain.  
  
Jim then fired again, hitting the beast in the neck. He planned on making it bleed to death, rather than ending its existence with a bullet to the brain. It snapped and snarled angrily at him, as he sat crouched and holding his rifle.  
  
The beast started to cough. It stopped noticing Jim's presence momentarily and seemed to be gagging on something in its throat. The Carnotaur wretched and thick saliva seeped out of its gullet, followed by an object heavily coated with the slimy mucus. After having regurgitated, it wandered away from the area. Satisfied with the damage he had managed to inflict upon it, Jim let the beast go realising it would probably fall soon due to its wounds anyway.  
  
As he walked towards the object that had been deposited onto the floor, he noticed its strange shape. He knelt over it and then realised with disgust what it was. The Captain's ribcage lay gnawed, in the dust; a grotesquely damaged left arm attached to it. The creature had swallowed the torso whole, and in Jim's attack against it, caused it to throw up part of its last meal.  
  
He pulled out a bag, and with great repulsion, picked up the remains to take back with him. He hoped that at least part of the Captain could receive a decent burial, rather than travel through the digestive system of a prehistoric lizard.  
  
"No beast can outhunt man", he said to himself, as he made his way back to the others. He felt an inner strength as he said these words.  
  
The sight of Jim emerging from the trees filled everyone with relief. He had made it, and presumably the beast hadn't. Steve couldn't help but notice the dark bag slung over his shoulder.  
  
"Jim, so pleased to see you, we have a real problem here", David said, walking over to meet his friend.  
  
"I gathered that when I saw you lot standing there", replied Jim, his voice full of a darkness that unnerved David.  
  
"Yes, well, we can't get into contact with the other group", he explained.  
  
"Never-mind, I know how we can find them", said Jim, "Jack can you pull out the heat sensor equipment, we are going to need it if we are ever going to locate those idiots".  
  
Steve was still looking at the bag.  
  
"Umm, Jim, what's in that bag exactly?" he asked with a simple but cautious curiosity.  
  
"Oh, its what's left of the Captain", came the reply, as if it was nothing of great importance.  
  
This answer was not what Steve had wanted to hear. Mike had also heard the answer and immediately felt weird within himself. The Captain had been mean to him moments before his death. It was almost as if he was getting his just desserts, although it was a little over the top in Mike's thinking.  
  
Jack opened the rear of the Land Rover, and extracted a fairly large device, which showed sensors and a large screen. It seemed to be a type of radar. Jack flipped a switch; the detailed map that showed up revealed to everyone that it seemed to be a rather fancy GPS, complete with contour lines and other topographical details. Various yellow blips were shown on the screen, including the cluster indicating themselves, all huddled together in the hostile environment.  
  
Since the map showed the whole island, when zoomed out anyway, every thing that emitted heat was present on the screen. Many yellow blips moved around, some not too far away, which caused concern amongst them.  
  
"How can we tell them apart from the dinosaurs", David queried.  
  
Jim smiled. He then gestured for Sarah to come over.  
  
"Show them how its done", he then said with a smile to her.  
  
She typed a code into a keypad on the machine, causing a change in the screen display.  
  
"Alright everyone, this thing not only can sense heat, but can also sense other things including phone signals", she explained to them. Mike just sat smiling at her, pushing away the thoughts of death from his mind. She caught him, but before he could sheepishly turn away she gave him a smile back. He blushed at this and turned away anyway. Karen glared from the back of the group.  
  
She flicked a switch and quite a few red dots flickered on the screen. There was one shown at the group, Jim's phone, one that had been carried down the river that had previously belonged to David and quite a few others dotted around the island.  
  
"That's more than I wanted to show up", Jim said, with a half smile. Perhaps to some it would be quite amusing to realise how many phones had been left on the island, evidently from the first hunters that had arrived in 1997. During the dino attacks they must have simply dropped the expensive pieces of equipment while on the run. That meant that abandoned phones would also probably be good indicators to where the Tyrannosaur and Velociraptor nests and game trails were located. It was however a pain, since it made it extremely difficult to track the group whom had gone off to set up camp.  
  
"I think we'll just have to use our initiative on this one", he said to Sarah, who nodded a reply.  
  
"Okay everyone, get into a vehicle, we're going", he explained to the rest of them.  
  
Everyone obliged to this order, gladly getting a move on so they didn't have to uncomfortably wait in the dark like an easy target for predators to pick off.  
  
The line of transport rumbled through the dark, once again across the plains. All though it was a very warm climate by day, the temperature cooled a bit at night, most likely because it was on a small island surrounded by a huge ocean. Everybody welcomed the drop in warmth, even though it was only slight.  
  
Jim had placed what had been left of the Captain into a cool box that wasn't in use, much to the distaste of Mike who had to sit near it in the vehicle. Once the expedition was over, they would give him a burial at sea, if this expedition ever ends, thought Jim.  
  
Within five minutes they had reached the area that seemed most likely to be the lost group, or part of it anyway. Jim stopped the Land Rover and got out. He looked down into a shallow ravine, which confirmed his expectations. It was however, not as he had expected it, as one of the vehicles had been ripped apart, completely gutted of equipment and resources.  
  
"Oh, Shit", hissed Jim, "This really isn't good". He was unable to believe that even more members of the group had been presumably killed.  
  
Jim, David and Steve made their way down to the wrecked Land Rover, to assess the damage. The rest waited at the top, along with Hans with his rifle, covering them in case they needed his destructive assistance. As each Land Rover had been fitted with one of the 20mm cannons from the converted boats that brought them to island, the first thing that David noticed was its absence.  
  
"What the Hell did this?", he said, with a hint of caution in his voice. There was something about the situation that terrified him deeply, but it seemed to be in the depths of his mind.  
  
"Probably some kind of large predator, a T-Rex or even a Spinosaur, whatever it was, we must be on the look out at all times", Jim replied, cocking his rifle as if to punctuate his last remark.  
  
The missing weapon, which had been mounted on the vehicles to deal with extremely large dinosaurs, was indeed worrying. The same had been done with the jeeps and the 50.cal machine guns. Purely for protection. Surely it must be around here somewhere, thought David, if a huge predator attacked it would probably have ripped the weapon off and thrown it into the bushes. The poor bastards must have been ambushed by a T-Rex, he thought, surely that was the answer.  
  
"Where the Bloody Hell are the others?", David asked, feeling uneasy about the whole situation.  
  
"I imagine they must have managed to escape, but where to I don't know", replied Jim, who was carefully surveying the immediate environment.  
  
Boris and Sarah came down as well, to get a closer look at the mess. Steve meanwhile walked around the destroyed LR, looking closely for clues of how the attack may have happened.  
  
"It was most likely that Spinosaur that did this", said Boris giving his opinion. However Sarah shook her head.  
  
"I don't think that...", she was about to say, but.  
  
"Aaarggh", screamed Steve as he fell back onto the ground. He had lifted away one of the doors, and to his horror, had found one of the members of the team.  
  
They all went to see what had given Steve a fright, and were repulsed at what they layed their eyes upon. The state the man was in was just awful. To make matters worse he was still alive.  
  
A badly injured man lay before them, bleeding from the mouth. Both his legs had been taken off in the attack, leaving behind gnarled stumps. A wheezing breath came from his mouth as he tried to say something. Jim knelt down to hear what the dying man was trying to whisper.  
  
"A...a...ambush", he struggled to say. As Jim heard this one thought came into his mind. That Velociraptors had been responsible for the attack.  
  
"An ambush", Jim repeated clearly, so that the others knew what had happened, "Raptors", he then said to himself. The rumours were true, he continued to think, they truely are as intelligent as Grant once said.  
  
Jim turned towards David.  
  
"They chewed his Goddamned legs off", he said coldly. The leg-less man was trying to say something else at that point. Jim leaned in again to hear.  
  
"K...k...kill...m...me", he wheezed, eyeing Boris' 54. Pistol. He had had enough of the pain and wanted them to end his suffering for him. Jim grimaced at the request. He had shot plenty of animals in his lifetime, but never another human.  
  
"He wants us to kill him", explained Jim, feeling a sickness come over him. Boris had killed before, since he had been a Spetznatz agent, unbeknown to anyone but himself. Jim couldn't kill the man, and he knew Steve definitely wouldn't, nor his friend David. Boris spoke up to end the anxiety.  
  
"I'll do it", he said quietly. The injured man nodded his head as confirmation for the act of mercy.  
  
Everyone looked away, as Boris drew out his pistol.  
  
He pulled the trigger, and the bark of his weapon echoed through the forest, as a bullet penetrated the man's skull, killing him instantly, and ending the horrific pain he had been living with.  
  
"We're dealing with raptors now", Jim clearly explained to everyone when they had reached the top again, "So I want everyone to be extra vigilant from now on".  
  
David couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
"After all that has happened, you still want to proceed with the expedition?" he cut in angrily.  
  
"Of course", replied Jim, "I haven't got what I came here to get yet, I will not leave this island till I have hunted Raptors", he said firmly.  
  
"I knew this was a bad idea in the first place", spat David, "I insist that we find those others if they're still alive, but then we should all get the Hell out of here as soon as possible".  
  
Jim grew exceptionally annoyed at his friend's reluctance to obey orders. He walked up to David threateningly and said through his teeth.  
  
"Listen, you will obey my orders, I am in command here and you will not tell me what to do", he said, his voice hardening with rage.  
  
"It's just this type of thing that killed your wife", David replied.  
  
This comment was what pushed Jim into losing control. Unable to prevent himself, he drew back his arm and punched David hard in the face, causing blood to gush out of his nose. David stumbled back into the dirt as Jim booted him in the ribs.  
  
"You bastard", he yelled, "Don't you ever say that again, and if you do so help me God, I will kill you". He then stormed off, leaving David in an equally angry state.  
  
"That's it, I'm leaving this Godforsaken island, there's two boats you know", he yelled back. He saw Jim walk through the jungle alone, totally ignoring his reply. David managed to calm himself down before turning to the others.  
  
"If you want out of this expedition now is the time to say so", David hoped he wouldn't be the only one to leave, but that thought was gladly pushed aside as nods of agreement affiliated themselves with David's idea. Most of the people around him wanted the same thing, and it was only a few who opted to stay behind with Jim. Predictably, Hans made it clear that he wanted to stay, much to the anger of Herman, who wished his brother could just learn to respect danger. Jack also wanted to stick to the hunt, as did Steve. However, that was it. Just four people were staying on the island. Everyone else wanted to get the Hell out of there.  
  
"Good, that's a good number of you all, we can return to the boats and set off", David replied, feeling a little better that at least he could return home on his own accord. Had only a couple of people wanted to go with him, he wouldn't have been able to use a boat due to the amount of people and equipment and would have had to instead wait on the beach until the expedition was over.  
  
He then turned to the members who had decided to stay.  
  
"Well I would advice it that you follow him and explain the situation, I hope you all make it", David told Hans and the two others.  
  
"We will, have a safe journey back, I guess a life of extreme danger isn't for you", replied Hans, chuckling at the last part.  
  
"Thank you", David replied simply. The two groups parted, and went their separate ways. 


	8. Going Seperate Ways

David led the escape back, while Jim led the hunt further on. Both teams took the necessary transport and equipment, though Jim relied on much less since his team consisted of only four men. He, Hans, Steve and Jack had set off on foot into what they believed to be the territory of the most dangerous predators on the island. David meanwhile, planned on taking the same route they had taken originally to get back to the beach, where the boats were waiting. He led the line of vehicles through the forest, and before long they were faced with the plains again, the vast grassy area stretched out before them. He wiped his mouth, where the blood from his earlier incident with Jim had dried.  
  
Morning had broken fully, and the dawn sunlight flooded across the area. For lack of sleep David squinted as he felt the warmth of the sun's rays absorb into his skin. It was a scene reminiscent to those that he had admired back in Africa when he had been staying with Jim. However, one major eyesore was the dead Apatosaurus that Hans had killed a day earlier. Its gargantuan carcass lay by the riverside, starting its slow cycle of decomposition. It was no wonder then that scavengers had arrived and were feasting on such a large amount of meat; they would not pass up an opportunity for an easy meal.  
  
He stopped the whole group for a short rest, so that they could have a bite to eat and drink some water. Climbing out of the LR, he sat down on the ground, his back against the vehicle. It was the same LR as the one he should have found a new site the previous day, so the marks from the Ceratosaur "investigation" were still clearly visible. He pondered the last 24 hours in his mind. Jo came and sat with him, placing her hand sympathetically on his shoulder, while the others took five and opened their supplies.  
  
"Its all my fault", he said, "Its all my stupid fault".  
  
"No it isn't", Jo said to comfort him.  
  
"It is", David replied quickly, "It's because of me that we got side-tracked, its because of me the Captain got killed and that we've lost most of the expedition, and its because of me we have split up again, why did I have to say that to him, why?"  
  
"I know your upset, but you must remember that it was his decision to continue the hunt, you only wanted us all to be safe and everyone here will respect you for that", she said, hoping it would make him feel better about himself.  
  
"I guess", he replied, "But I doubt I'll ever see him again".  
  
"Don't think that, he's an experienced hunter, he'll be okay", Jo felt a little uneasy saying this in case Jim was killed, but she felt it would contribute to making David feel better.  
  
She kissed him on the cheek, filling him with loving warmth.  
  
"You're a brave man", she concluded, "You took care of me, you even protected me when death seemed imminent for the both of us, you David Bren, are a good man".  
  
Jim hadn't noticed the early morning sun since he was still walking through the shallow gully in the forest. He lashed out at the dense vegetation with his knife, still agitated by David's comment. He had once had a wife, and she had indeed died. He always felt a responsibility for her death, but to be told that by someone who was supposed to be a friend was just too much.  
  
"Do you know where we are?", asked Hans.  
  
"Not a clue", came Jim's reply, "But I hope we find level ground soon, I'd hate to be chased over this type of terrain".  
  
Steve hated the thought of being pursued by monsters, especially on difficult ground. He hoped the same as Jim. Jack, felt he would rather hold his ground and fire on any attacking creature until somebody was victorious.  
  
Between the men they carried quite a lot of supplies. They had enough 'necessaries' to last a week and a half, and enough weapons and ammo to help make them feel safe. Carrying the largest gun was jack, obviously since he was the weapons expert. It was a 50. BMG, with a sniper scope, which was perfect for taking out a super predator. There were two limitations though; limited ammunition and the fact that it was in parts. There were only five rounds for it, though they were explosive, it was to be used only if necessary. It being unassembled to prevent it being too bulky meant that it could not be put to immediate use if they were to be ambushed by a large carnivore. It was therefore quite useless for immediate defence.  
  
Jack didn't mind though, he had faith in his Springfield 303., a weapon that had been used by his father during the D-Day Landings at Omaha beach. It was a very old weapon, yet it had a particular quality to it, which Jack saw as absent in modern manufactured firearms.  
  
Hans, with his knife and Luger pistol also felt relatively safe. Though possession of these weapons was not the reason why.  
  
Jim had been shooting for years, particularly at moving targets. He didn't care what weapon he used, as long as it worked. Steve meanwhile, was feeling very nervous. He only had a pistol, which had been lent to him by Jack, a 44. Magnum.  
  
Steve felt a particular power owning a gun, even though he wasn't quite sure how to operate one efficiently. Jack felt it to be a bit foolish giving a gun of such heavy firepower to a novice, but under the circumstances he felt it would be better to face T-Rex with something that would have an effect, and not just bounce off.  
  
All four men felt weary as they entered the day without having had sleep during the night. Jim knew they would have to stop and rest shortly. They would take it in turns to sleep, while the other man kept watch.  
  
Eventually they came across a small clearing big enough to pitch a tent. They did so and began a well-deserved rest.  
  
"It'll be good to get off this island", spoke up Mike. He had plucked up some courage and was trying at that moment, to make conversation with Sarah. He had gone and sat with her while everyone took a break.  
  
"Yes it most certainly will", she replied, "Shame we never saw as much as we could have done though, we won't get a chance like this again".  
  
"Well, I'm just glad we didn't get eaten", he said. Sarah chuckled at this remark. He then thought that perhaps he should just go ahead and ask her out. He had decided that he really liked her and desired much more than a friendship from the moment he had first set eyes on her. He pondered this for a moment. Why not?, he thought. But would I be able to accept a 'No'?, replied his mind, I don't think I'd be able to take that. You'll never find out if you don't ask, his thoughts continued, rendering him unable to make a descision. Eventually he regained control of his consious and just went ahead and asked, expecting the worst at the same time.  
  
"Um, Sarah, can I ask you something?", he said, feeling a tightness in his throat grow.  
  
"Sure", she replied, wondering what was so difficult for him to say.  
  
"Will you...er...go out with me?", he immediately felt a kind of relief since he had now said these words, but also instantly felt a feeling of dread in case she declined, which he was sure would most certainly be the case. He waited for what seemed like an era for her response. She looked very taken aback.  
  
Sarah looked at him, he wasn't an unattractive boy, but she didn't really know him too well. She was about to say so when another thought came into her mind. Why not? it said. Instead of her initial thought, she responded with a reply that Mike had been hoping for.  
  
"I will", she replied.  
  
This filled Mike with an overwhelming sense of joy. Sarah leaned in and hugged him, as well as giving him a kiss on the cheek, since he himself was much too shy to actually do it first. He dared not in case she wouldn't have liked it.  
  
Sarah felt strange at that moment. She had said yes to Mike's question, and it now opened a door to commitment, which she would have to follow. Karen had seen this happy moment in Mike's life. She tended to watch over him a lot, and seeing this filled her with an even greater hatred for Sarah.  
  
"Would you like an energy bar?", said the strong Russian voice behind Karen.  
  
She was momentarily startled, but soon realised that Boris was just offering her a snack.  
  
"You haven't actually eaten for quite a while", he continued, "I was beginning to worry about you", he smiled.  
  
Karen smiled back. She had been so deep in thought about Mike that she must have neglected the hunger that had obviously been growing in her stomach. She was indeed hungry, and after thanking the Russian man, devoured the snack bar quickly.  
  
Boris could see that something was up with her. As well as looking tired, she looked sad.  
  
"Is anything wrong?", he asked her. She was puzzled by this sudden question.  
  
"No, nothing much really", she quickly replied.  
  
Boris could tell that there was something getting at her, and that it was probably something to do with relationships. He had observed her glaring at Sarah, so he knew she hated the 'Ingen daughter'. Boris looked at Karen; she was young and attractive, with her brown hair tied back. He decided not to discuss the whole situation with her though, as it most probably would have been quite a tender area.  
  
He looked around, and noticed Ethan was coming to after having been attacked the night before. He went over to welcome the injured member back into the world of the living.  
  
"What happened?", he groaned. He was obviously still in pain.  
  
"I think my ribs are broken", he continued, explaining his problems to Boris.  
  
"You took quite a tumble my friend", Boris said smiling, "So I imagine you will be badly bruised and all, but we're leaving this place soon so we can treat you better when we get to a safer place".  
  
"I don't remember much at all", explained the aching Ethan, "It just went black".  
  
"You've been out for quite a while", replied Boris, "Try not to move for now".  
  
He got up to go and tell David about Ethan regaining consciousness, but as he did so he noticed something down by the Apatosaurus carcass. He stared at it for a moment before realising what it was, and then hurried over to where David and Jo were still sitting, so he coud discuss what he had just seen.  
  
Jim had been sleeping for about four hours on the forest floor. He was inside a tent, but could still feel the hardness of the ground through the canvas. As he woke up he could hear Hans and Jack talking outside, Steve was asleep still and Jim tapped him to wake him up.  
  
"Time to get up Steve", he said quietly, "We need to let Hans and Jack sleep now".  
  
Steve was at first reluctant to get up, but he soon realised that he had to be responsible and forced himself back into a state of consciousness.  
  
Hans and Jack happily swapped over, and went to sleep.  
  
Steve sat down on a log, which Hans and Jack had been using momentarily before. Jim sat with him and offered a flask of whiskey, but Steve declined.  
  
"Maybe later, I need to go and have a leak", he said.  
  
"Okay, but don't stray too far, as if I have to warn you enough", replied Jim.  
  
Steve wasn't about to go and do something foolish, and Jim could trust him. But the reason why Steve hadn't decided to leave with the others was a different matter. Jim pondered this.  
  
Steve walked out to find a suitable spot. He found a large tree to relieve himself at, without being in sight of anyone. As he did so he noticed something down a hill, a strange metallic object. After a moment he noticed the two wheels attached to it.  
  
"There's something down there, I think its part of the missing group", he explained as he came back.  
  
"Really", replied Jim, who was slightly surprised, but also hopeful that it would give them more information to the whereabouts of the missing team.  
  
The object in question was a motorbike, which wasn't so much wrecked as covered in ground vines and other foliage. Upon looking at it, Jim, who had left the tent unguarded, shook his head and explained to Steve.  
  
"Its not one of ours, must have been here from when the Ingen hunters arrived", he saw that it was of a different manufacture and definitely not part of the missing group. He did see it as a chance to salvage some of it though, decanting what was left of the fuel tank into a flask.  
  
"Fuel can be very useful, we can't let this stuff go to waste", he said to Steve.  
  
As soon as he had filled the flask an almighty roar thundered through the forest, almost causing Jim to drop the flask.  
  
"Where the Hell is it?", he said, "It must be less than 300 yards away", Jim knew that what had made the noise was very big and almost definitely a predator. He cursed himself for leaving his firearm back at the tent, and also for leaving Hans and Jack in a position where anything could creep up on them. Steve immediately felt that he would need to relieve himself again.  
  
Back on top of the hill, Hans had woken with a fright well before the roar had boomed through the jungle. He woke to hear a loud squeaking in his ear, and opening his eyes met some very unwelcome guests. A small group of Compies, no more than seven, had let themselves into the tent and were swarming all over him. He yelled in both surprise and fright, pulling out his knife and slashing at the little beasts. The razor sharp edge warded off the Compies enough to give Hans the time to draw his Luger and dispose of them the way he enjoyed most. As he brought it up to fire the roar had sounded, causing him to fall to the floor, and scattering the Compies, which ran for their lives.  
  
Hans had managed to fall out of the tent, so he lay face down amongst the forest floor, snorting the dust of decaying leaves that got into his nose. It then came to his realisation that the creature that had made the roar was very close by, and he was right. Lifting his head up he saw the moving flanks of a monster of incredible proportions. Its snout was long like that of a crocodile, and as well as these formidable jaws, it had a pair of dangerous looking arms. However, this beast before him had a rather bizarre feature, a tall sail running down its back.  
  
Meanwhile, as Hans lay in a prone position, feeling very uncomfortable about the situation, Jim and Steve were hiding behind a tree. They had seen the Spinosaur as well.  
  
Steve was terrified like never before, whereas Jim saw the animal as an opportunity to hunt. Jack had awoken by now, and he poked his head out of the tent to get a look.  
  
He almost fell back with fright when he saw the carnivore. In its mouth was the limp body of a baby Triceratops, so the creature was for the moment preoccupied, giving Jim an idea.  
  
"Well look at the size of that thing, isn't it magnificent", said Jim under his breath, which was lacking due to exhilaration.  
  
"Sure, sure", replied Steve, his voice wavered with apprehension, "Can we get out of its territory?"  
  
"Not until we claim it", Jim said, giving Steve the opposite to what he wanted to hear.  
  
"We couldn't even bring it down Jim, its not worth it, your rifle won't be able to kill that thing", Steve spoke up to protest against Jim's decision.  
  
"Mine might not, but Jack's BMG ought to", Jim inched his way towards the tent.  
  
David still sat where he was, overlooking the scenic plains, and most importantly the Apatosaurus remains. Boris had seen a creature moving around the carcass, a distinctive carnivore with two horns above its eyes. Sarah also came over with a look of caution in her eyes.  
  
"How are we to get round this problem?", asked Boris. He had spotted a Carnotaur feasting on the deposit of meat. Unfortunately it was right in the way of the path that David had hoped in taking to get back to the boats. If they did try to follow the prearranged route the beast would surely spot them and give chase, perhaps causing more casualties than they had already sustained.  
  
"We'll have to go another way", he replied, "I wont risk taking us down any where near that thing". David had already had an unpleasant encounter with this specimen, and felt that altering their course of escape would be much preferable than trying to get past the aggressive creature.  
  
"There is another way", piped up Sarah from behind, "If we follow that river", she said pointing at a body of water flowing away from the area, "We should arrive at the coast, where we can make our way round back to the beach". David agreed to this idea, which pleased Sarah. Eventually they set off, giving the scavenging predator a wide berth.  
  
There wasn't enough time for Jim to piece together the powerful weapon. Before he had managed to attach the high power rifle's two main halves together, the Spinosaur had disappeared into the jungle. They could still hear it, but it was out of sight by now. Jim cursed.  
  
"We can track it though", he suddenly said, filled with more excitement, "Come on everyone, leave the tent here". Steve felt even more anxiety close in on him as he saw Jim walk silently off towards what was probably the most dangerous organism on the island. Jack had the same thoughts, but saw that it didn't really matter as the most dangerous creature in the world was doing the hunting; man.  
  
Hans just followed Jim into the forest without any thought in his head other than how big the 'trophy' was, blissfully ignorant of any type of danger.  
  
Jack followed cautiously, while Steve lagged a little behind, unwilling to be left alone by the tent, but also not too happy about going after a large monster. 


	9. The River of Claws

"This is crazy, we should turn back", hissed Steve, keeping his voice down. He didn't want to get any closer to the Spinosaur than he already had, but Jim's persistence caused the four man group to get nearer and nearer the dangerous carnivore.  
  
"If you don't want to hunt, why did you come in the first place?", asked Jim, keeping most of his concentration on the target ahead. It was a fair enough question.  
  
"I thought a little experience would do me good, but at this rate I'll be dead soon and then what good will it have done me?", he whispered harshly through exerted lungs, trying to keep the sound of his voice quiet so he wasn't detected by the creature ahead of him.  
  
Jim did not answer. Instead he focused on taking down the Spinosaur, an act that would make him famous and perhaps finally satisfy his hunting accomplishments. The creature had eventually stopped, still with its back to them. Jim knelt down in the foliage, giving himself some cover. He gestured for the others to do the same.  
  
The creature had stopped, and although it couldn't see them, it seemed to realise it was being stalked. Hardly a big deal for such a large carnivore, but in this case it did seem to be cautious, almost as if it had encountered something as dangerous as a human before.  
  
The 50. BMG was levelled at it, ready to deliver a kill shot, but Jim wasn't going to pull the trigger too soon. He waited for the Spinosaur to manoeuvre itself into a better position before he carried out such an action. Steve was crouched as close to the ground as possible, ready to run if he needed; a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.  
  
David breathed a sigh of relief; they had managed to successfully get past the scavenging Carnotaur, and were now on their way along a slightly different route. Nevertheless, he expected to arrive at the boats within an hour, where he would have finally accomplished the unlikely task of leaving the island in one piece.  
  
Unfortunately though they had run into difficult terrain that the vehicles were having trouble traversing over. The wheels of one of the jeeps jammed against the uneven ground, causing a dust cloud as it spun helplessly on its axle. David noticed this and sighed once again, this time for a different reason.  
  
"It wont budge", explained Sarah, who had been driving the jeep in question, "And the terrain only gets trickier further on, so what should we do?"  
  
David knew a decisive decision would have to be made quickly. Abandoning the vehicles would only slow their journey to the boats by a few hours or so, but he hesitated in abandoning the expensive equipment. Eventually he realised that their only hope was to leave the vehicles and continue to the boats on foot. He glanced at the powerful 20mm Oerlikon cannon atop the Land Rover, which had been his transport for the past couple of days. Lets just hope we don't run into anything big, he thought.  
  
"Do you know where we are?" he asked Sarah, who smiled and happily replied that she did.  
  
"I'll lead", she said, "Just over that ridge we'll be able to see the boats, the river runs right next to it".  
  
They set off once more, taking all they could carry, and keeping every one of their senses on full alert.  
  
Hours had passed and Jim was still sitting in the same position, his rifle poised at the Spinosaur. There was a crash of trees nearby, which caused all four men to wince with concern. Jim turned his head slightly to see what had created the noise.  
  
A juvenile Tyrannosaur was out on a hunt, completely oblivious to the danger that stalked it. The Spinosaur was eyeing up the young creature, waiting to charge the unsuspecting prey.  
  
"Get me another bullet ready", whispered Jim, to Jack. He evidently wanted to get both carnivores, since once he had fired it would become clear to the remaining animal that it wasn't alone in this part of the forest. The Spinosaur moved itself into a better position, lining itself up for an attack. Jim saw his opportunity and kept his eye on the scope, placing the crosshairs over the Spinosaur's head.  
  
With a sudden lunge, the Spinosaurus ran straight at the young Tyrannosaur, its jaws wide open. Jim squeezed the trigger. Time seemed to slow down.  
  
The weapon lurched in his arms, and a loud hiss sounded from the firing chamber. An acrid smoke emanated from the rifle. It had jammed! Jim felt an indescribable anger to the manufacturers of the firearm.  
  
Both the Spinosaur and Tyrannosaur had been alerted of their presence by this unfortunate turn of events. Suddenly glimpsing the hulking mass of the larger meat-eater, the young T Rex let out a frightened grunt, and fled from the danger, leaving the prey and the predator to themselves.  
  
As the Spinosaur let out a terrific roar, Jim was fumbling with the bolt, in order to eject the dud round, and insert a new one. The huge carnivore took a couple of steps forward, as Hans, let fly with the bullets from his Luger. For a moment, the insignificant projectiles caused the predator to hesitate, but it quickly chose the more favourable attack, since it saw the 9mm parabellum bullets as a mere annoyance.  
  
"Be careful with that", Jack said to Jim, "Don't open the barrel too quickly or…"  
  
"We don't have the bloody time to be careful", shrieked Jim, as he finally undid the bolt.  
  
Time once again seemed to slow. Jim's plan of action now was to run. He saw Hans retreating fairly quickly, but still holding his pistol out at the lumbering carnivore. Jack was only a few feet away, but was already making distance between him and the predator. Steve had started running as soon as Jim had pulled the trigger. There was so much adrenaline coursing through his veins, Jim saw everything in slow motion.  
  
As he turned to flee, the ejected round flew out behind him. Still smoking, it landed hard against a tree root. This was all that it needed to cause the reaction.  
  
Jim's senses were all of a sudden jerked back to real time, as he heard a loud bang and a whiz straight past his leg. The bark of a tree violently erupted in front of him, spraying splinters.  
  
Bloody hell, that almost took my leg off, he thought, feeling fortunate for the projectile to have missed him by mere inches, but still realising the great danger uncomfortably close by.  
  
He ran forward, following the others, and scanning the immediate environment for any area that he could get to but the Spinosaur couldn't.  
  
Steve found himself in a clearing. He knew the others weren't far behind him, and he turned to see Hans rush out of the forest. The charging feet of the pursuing carnivore caused tremors in the ground.  
  
A cave lay close by, concealed by vegetation. Though he had no idea what was down there, Steve immediately opted to use it to hide, as the entrance was only wide enough for a man to enter, and not the gigantic jaws of the Spinosaur behind them. Hans saw it too, and followed suite.  
  
Lying within the wet, dark interior, Steve yelled when he saw Jack emerge.  
  
"Over hear", he shouted. Jack got the message and joined them.  
  
The great mouth of the Spinosaur clashed together, almost taking Jim to his death. To avoid the beast, he had been weaving and doing as much as possible to prolong his life. The forest environment had given him ways of doing that, by using branches, vines, and other flora to put as much between him and the carnivore as possible. But when he saw the clearing his heart sunk. Was this the end he thought? He ran on forward, as fast as his legs would carry him.  
  
He was still carrying the gun, feeling that he would need it whatever happened. He caught a glimpse of Steve poking his head out of the cave. Steve saw him as well.  
  
"Jim!", he yelled.  
  
A dive into the unknown was what saved Jim. He landed in the cave, the Spinosaur's jaws furiously biting after him.  
  
David could see the two boats lying in the shallow turquoise water, from atop the ridge. He looked at the vessels with a great feeling of accomplishment. They were going to make it.  
  
Mark and Herman were with him, but the others were positioned along various areas on the ridge, since it had become much to narrow and therefore dangerous to all be gathered at the same time. Just in front of them the river became one with the sea, the water changing colour as it joined to the vast deep blue ocean.  
  
Several creatures were moving about down by the riverside. Sometimes they were perched atop of rocks, and at other times they stood at the shoreline. Wherever they were positioned, they were all doing the same thing. They were fishing.  
  
David observed the peculiar, yet intriguing behaviour almost directly below him, while Herman and Mark stared at the boats with glee. Strange creatures thought David, passing off the fishing reptiles without much thought. The animals themselves, too, were oblivious to the activity above them, since they were too busy catching their favoured prey with large hooked claws, and a crocodilian snout.  
  
Sarah, standing back down the line explained what they were.  
  
"Baryonyx", she said, in a voice for anyone to hear.  
  
Mike peered precariously over the edge at the fish-eating lizards. The steep drop down to the river below made him feel particularly wary, but he couldn't help being curious. One of the Baryonyx lifted its head and looking up, stared at them. It then let out a crackling roar, and returned to its fishing.  
  
He then thought of his friend Steve, who had opted to remain on the hunt.  
  
"It's a pity Steve didn't just come with us", he said, "He could have still experienced dinosaurs this way instead of going off to look for them".  
  
Sarah smiled.  
  
"You wouldn't want to get anywhere near those things down there", she replied, "They may look preoccupied now, but they will kill you if they have half a chance". She ended her statement with an almost cold not in her voice.  
  
Peter, who was only a few metres behind couldn't help hearing this comment. He remembered something she had told them while they were still at Nublar, during her explanation on the Metriacanthosaurs.  
  
"Ah yes", he said, "I remember you saying, about the Spinosaurs being particularly aggressive as a genus". His words stirred her memory; eventually she remembered.  
  
"Do you know why that is?" questioned Peter, curious to find out why.  
  
"I don't know", came the blunt reply, "Territory I suppose", she hazarded a guess.  
  
Bruce also added to the conversation, as there was a particular point of the statement that didn't seem to make sense.  
  
"Where are the spines on those things then?", he asked.  
  
"The Baryonyx are very closely related to Spinosaurus Aegypticus; so they share the same genus", Sarah replied.  
  
She then followed up with, "One of the larger denizens on the island", in a voice that was almost dark.  
  
They continued to observe the beasts, which themselves continued to wade through the water as they searched for their prey.   
  
Even further back down the line, Ethan stood, with the help of Boris and Karen, his body still bruised and battered from being attacked by a 'horned devil' as he had so put it. His memory was returning and all he could see in his minds eye was the terrifying image of the Carnotaur rushing towards him, jaws open, with flashing rows of sharp teeth waiting to penetrate flesh. He shook the thought away, and so stood in a silent state of terror, knowing fully well that the image would haunt him for the rest of his life.  
  
"Can you see anything?" Karen asked Boris. He lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes so he could give her an answer. He saw the three men at the very top, one was standing, and the other two were crouched and staring down the opposite side of the ridge. The standing man was Mark. He was looking this way, a big grin spread across his face.  
  
Swwoooomth!  
  
The side of Mark's head suddenly exploded a mass of red and purple matter. His body flew sideways, tumbling over Herman and David and disappearing down the side of the ridge. Boris gestured everyone to get down, but no one needed to be told.  
  
Herman recoiled in horror; Mark's blood had splattered onto his face and clothing. David had hit the deck, but Herman had been so repulsed by the bits of brain plastered into his hair, that he had risen from a safe position. It was too late.  
  
Thwop! Came the second bullet as it bit into his shoulder. Herman screamed at the sudden pain. Somehow its seemed a lot worse than the hundreds of Compy teeth that had chewed into his flesh only a few days later. He stumbled. He fell.  
  
Crashing down the steep fall he was nearly knocked unconscious. Unfortunately for him he wasn't. Eventually he landed in the warm flowing water, right by the group of Baryonyx. As his blood seeped into the river, he looked up at the creature, which was growling fiercely at him.  
  
Without thinking, David rushed over the edge, in a bid to safe Herman. A bullet smashed uncomfortably close into the rocks near his hand, as he pushed himself into a position in where he could slide down into the riverside.  
  
Boris had spotted the source of danger; a lone figure crouched in the bushes. He rushed up to where David had been momentarily before, and fired his 54. Pistol at the enemy. The bullets were of course not very accurate due to the wide distance between him and the target. But the sniper that had just claimed a man's life, and possibly another, got the message and withdrew into the bushes.  
  
A loud explosion made the earth shake at that moment. It had come from behind. Boris turned round to see the two boats completely wrecked, gutted. With billowing smoke emanating from the wide gouges in the once seaworthy hull. A couple of dark figures rushed away from the scene of destruction, and into the cover of the forest. Fuel leaked into the waves, while the supplies bobbed around in the water, before eventually being dragged out to sea by the persistent tides.  
  
David landed in the river, his ankle scrapped and bloodied by the rough slide down the steep slope. The water rushed around his feet, as he felt around himself for a weapon. But to no avail, he realised that he no longer had with him, his rifle or pistol. Without those two things, Herman could not be saved. He looked on in horror.  
  
Herman had tried to get up, but because of the pain from his gunshot wound, he struggled to maintain balance. He stood in a slightly stooped pose, clutching at his shoulder. He found himself unable to get away from the creature before him, which now reared up menacingly, bearing its large, lethal claws.  
  
It was inevitable; he was going to die. David could do no more than watch, as could the others who were gazing down from their position directly above. Herman braced himself.  
  
The Baryonyx swung its powerful arm downwards, and then ripped up. Herman grimaced as he felt a burning pain spread from his left thigh up to his right shoulder. He stumbled backwards.  
  
A purple-coloured mass hung out of his opened abdomen. It was warm and slippery to touch. He was feeling his own intestines. Herman started to gasp as the very essence of life slowly left his body. His vision started to fade. He had completely forgotten about the bullet lodged in his shoulder.  
  
Through his declining vision, he saw the open mouth of the carnivore. Suddenly, everything went black, and he knew no more.  
  
Another Baryonyx had decided to join in on the kill, and had bitten down on Herman's head, removing it in one bite. The two creatures bit and tore into the body, turning the surrounding water a bright red.  
  
David felt immensely inferior against the might of the violent predators. He looked around for a way back up the bluff, but to his horror, found it was impossible to climb back up. The almost vertical slope was much too slippery to grab a hold of. His only chance was to cross the river, and come out on the opposite bank where Mark's killer had fired his cold-blooded bullet.  
  
He tried to run forward, but the water impeded his movement. The noise of the splashing attracted the attention of one of the creatures, which turned out to be the Baryonyx that had just that moment swallowed the head of Herman. Seeing David struggle the creature immediately left the other one to finish devouring Herman's carcass, as it went to pursuit David. As the beast strode easily through the water, the Baryonyx that had delivered the killing blow happily chewed on the intestines of Herman's lifeless body, causing a mushy mess to enter the surrounding water. David meanwhile, thrashed around as he tried to get closer to the riverside, an indescribable sense of fear gripping his soul.  
  
Everyone atop the ridge could see what was happening, and responded with a variety of gunshots, which were fired at the charging creature. As it turned to see what was attacking it, David was given precious extra moments to escape.  
  
Boris fired his pistol, the bullets hitting the surface of the water, causing a sense of bewilderment to the carnivore so that it would slow its chase of David.  
  
Jo, too scared and worried to be visibly distressed, fired her rifle, trying her best to make her hits count. She found it difficult though, as the creature was moving quite rapidly, and only a direct hit to the brain case would be sufficient to stop it in its tracks.  
  
All of a sudden another of the predators turned up to give chase. It had momentarily fought over the remains of Herman, but realising another chance was running away, had opted for a live meal instead.  
  
Jo found herself screaming with rage as she suddenly launched herself over the top, driven by some unseen force. She had no idea what had given her such courage, or stupidity; but immediately she found herself scrambling down the side of the slope.  
  
The others hesitated for a moment but then followed, feeling that if they went in numbers they would be a lot safer, but mainly because they wouldn't allow themselves to let Jo go out into the danger alone.  
  
Meanwhile the pursuing Baryonyx was shortening the distance between it and David. He turned to see Jo jump down into the water, and then thrash herself forward.  
  
Jo had fortunately seen the other Baryonyx, which had changed direction and was now coming after her. She levelled her rifle and fired, killing the creature instantly as the bullet penetrated its brain.  
  
Then, crouching down, she looked through the scope and targeted the carnivore that was after David. Placing the crosshairs over the correct area, and accounting for the creature's movement, she fired once more. It fell within ten feet of David, who had to jump out of the way as the body slammed into the river. 


	10. So Long, Sail

The heavy jaws of the Spinosaur once again snapped at the entrance of the cave. It knew very well a potential meal, and possible enemy, was hiding within the cavern, and so was eager to finish whatever it was off. The cave didn't actually lead anywhere, and Jim knew this. He was going to have to shoot his way out. Suits me fine, he thought.  
  
Steve was pressed as hard as he could against the damp wall of the cave, as far as possible from those formidable jaws. Hans and Jack were crouched close to the ground, occasionally wincing when the beast's snout came too close for comfort.  
  
Jim lurched back when one of the Spinosaur's clawed hands groped at the entrance, almost coming into contact with Jim's flesh. That's it, he thought, that time was much too close. It was now or never.  
  
Holding one of the large BMG rounds, he felt incredibly nervous. There were very few left, and if he missed they would all be done for. How he could miss at point blank range was a different matter, but the very thought still made him feel uneasy.  
  
"Give me some room here", he warned the others, "I don't want you getting recoil in your face". He loaded the round into the chamber, and pointed the weapon at the creature blocking their escape.  
  
The biting mouth outside was huge. Within it rows of razor sharp teeth were lying in wait for anything that entered the cavernous jaws. A muscular tongue dripped saliva out, and a stench of rotten flesh wafted into the cave interior whenever it exhaled. The Spinosaur opened its mouth wide and roared at the trapped humans. Jim saw his chance and took.  
  
With a squeeze of the trigger, the colossal bullet was fired straight into the Spinosaur's mouth and up into its brain, where it exploded messily. The terrifying monster had been defeated, and Jim felt he was the most powerful man alive.  
  
David and Jo rushed towards each other, so they could embrace themselves after yet another horrific ordeal. He was shocked at how his lover had acted just moments ago, as was she.  
  
"I couldn't let you die", she sobbed, finally able to let her emotions flow freely. She had totally forgotten any fragment of love for nature, in a bid to save David. Jo had gunned down two prehistoric predators quickly and efficiently, like a killing machine, but driven by fear and rage. They had merely been territorial, thought David, but he was deeply grateful for having been saved.  
  
"Jo!", gasped an astonished voice. It was Karen.  
  
She had actually been the first to follow Jo, as she had made her dash down into the hazardous river.  
  
"Are you all right?", came the concerned question.  
  
"I'm fine", replied Jo, her displayed emotions finally returning to the depths of her soul.  
  
Sarah came forward. She seemed to be surrounded by an air of annoyance at Jo's reckless stunt, but this was effectively dampened by Mike's very character, as he hovered just behind her. Ignoring the decisive action only moments ago, Sarah had assessed the situation, and like always, was going to lead the group to a safer area.  
  
David and Jo looked at her, as they stood in the water, embraced in a state of invincible love. Sarah was a little disgusted at this, but she hid it very well.  
  
Boris appeared behind her.  
  
"The boats have been destroyed, it is now apparent that we are not alone on this island", he explained, unable to keep his voice from sounding too dramatic.  
  
"There's an old workers village nearby", replied Sarah, "We may find a way of contacting a helicopter or something similar there." She took one last look at Jo and David, who were still holding each other, before setting off in another direction and gesturing the rest to follow.  
  
Jim was incredibly happy with his achievement. Almost satisfied. He and the three other men crawled out of their hiding place to properly inspect the fallen carcass of the Spinosaur.  
  
The gigantic beasts brain lay in splattered fragments on the soil, a very large exit wound visible on the top of its skull. The great mouth hung open, the foul smell of rotting flesh still emanating from its throat.  
  
The colours and patterns usually displayed on the great sail had now faded, due to the creature's blood no longer being pumped through its body.  
  
"How am I going to prove it though", he murmured to himself. Steve had actually overheard him, and actually thought Jim's action hadn't been one of skill or bravery at all. Shooting something with an immensely powerful gun through the safety of a hole in the ground wasn't Steve's idea of bravery at all.  
  
Jim was now crouched by the jaws, and was digging into the creature's gums, apparently trying to free something. It then became evident he was trying to get one of the Spinosaur's teeth. He eventually wrenched one free and stared at it in amazement as he held it in his hands.  
  
Hans and Jack had gone a little bit further on their short walk around the dead dinosaur. Hans had stopped at the creature's belly, and with a grin, pulled out his legendary knife. Jack knew what was coming and covered his face as a show of embarrassment, even though there was no-one their to view it.  
  
"Lets see what this dino had for lunch", said Hans, grinning. And with that he plunged his razor sharp blade into the creature's flesh.  
  
Though the skin was tough, the knife penetrated it as it would have any other type of flesh. Eventually Hans managed to cut out a fairly big hole, revealing the bulging stomach bag and entrails within the creature's body. Slicing again, this time into the stomach wall, Hans cut almost surgically a large gash. The other three were now all watching him do this, and were all grimacing. This was mainly due to the stench, but almost because of the way Hans had done it so neatly, with the hands of a surgeon.  
  
Upon having created a wide cut across the stomach, the bag quickly split open fully and out of it flooded a wave of semi-digested matter. Hans cursed as he was covered in the remains of all sorts of things. Jim, Jack and Steve could only watch and laugh. However, there was something that caught Steve's eye that made him become silent, as Hans began shaking off the dino-chow from his clothing. A bone was protruding from the opened stomach. Steve approached it and yanked it out. He felt sick when he realised what it was, a human femur. Someone had recently perished at the Hell's gates that had been the Spinosaur's jaws. But who exactly, Steve didn't know. He began rummaging around in the stomach, searching for anything that could give him a hint of who had owned the femur. The small traces of remaining acid stung his hands a bit, but eventually he found something, a wallet.  
  
Rubbing away the excess crap from the wallet, Steve opened it. Inside was the man's identity. It was however, a great surprise to them all that the identification didn't fit any member of the expedition.  
  
"Arnold Banner", Steve said reading out the name aloud.  
  
Jim was puzzled. There hadn't been anyone of that name on the expedition.  
  
"What else does it say?", he asked.  
  
"It says here that he is a Russian citizen, but his occupation is unknown", Steve replied.  
  
"You mean was unknown, we now know he was dinosaur food", added Hans, perhaps a little distastefully.  
  
"Interesting", commented Jim, "His name doesn't sound that Russian".  
  
He took the wallet from Steve and stared at the picture. The man definitely did not look like a Russian. He looked more like someone from the United States.  
  
"I have no idea what's going on, but I don't like it", he murmured.  
  
"What should we do?", asked Steve.  
  
"We continue", replied Jim, "And avoid these people if we come across them; chances are they fled at the sight of the Spinosaur anyway and poor old Arnold there couldn't run as fast as his mates". He gestured to the spilled stomach contents.  
  
"But I think the most important thing now is for Hans to go and get washed because he stinks of shit", Jim added. Hans chuckled, as he always did in that kind of situation, finding it amusing when he became the centre of attention for all those different reasons.  
  
"Go on, there's a river nearby", said Jim, "Go and clean yourself, and don't come back till you do".  
  
Hans smiled and walked off, heading for a nearby river.  
  
Sarah felt coldness inside her. Though she was in a humid environment with the sun glaring down upon her, she still felt cold. Mike walked a few feet behind. Since he had asked her out he had been following her like a lost puppy, and it was beginning to get on her nerves. The rest of the group were further behind, but stayed close together, almost bunched. Apart from Mike, she was isolated.  
  
A group of buildings came into view. The abandoned village was now in sight. David looked cautiously at the forgotten dwellings, which were now covered with vegetation, and weathered from the storms that frequented the islands.  
  
Hans found the river, and immediately began to wash the semi-digested matter off of him. He actually felt a bit unnerved being down by the waters edge on his own, whereas he would usually be in his element if it where in some other part of the world. Reminds me of the Amazon, he thought to himself.  
  
He remembered his battle with the gigantic anaconda in the deepest reaches of the Amazon rainforest. He had been gutting a fish on the deck of his boat, when the gargantuan serpent had rose out of the still river water and embedded its jaws around his right shoulder. He never knew what had provoked the serpent to attack, but looking back it would have probably been the smell of fish guts. Fortunately his quick reactions had saved him as he had lashed out with his knife when the snake had tried to wrap its muscular body round him. The razor sharp blade of his knife ended up slicing through the snake's neck, causing it to eventually die of blood loss. He had then hacked the head off and told people from then on that he had dealt with the animal with skill and precision, claiming to have decapitated it with one blow.  
  
He shuddered at the memory.  
  
From that day on he had promised himself to always be alert for anything that might try to attack him. As he travelled a lot, this offered a variety of hazards that he had to be on the look out for. It was a question of being the hunter, and not the hunted. If he was the monster, then surely nothing could jump out at him.  
  
A rustling in the bushes startled. He turned, his Luger drawn. It was a compy.  
  
Blasted things he thought.  
  
The little bipedal beast chirped cautiously at his aimed weapon. But seemed to realise what he was threatening it with, and so ran off. The small menace gone, Hans turned back to the water and finished cleaning himself. 


	11. Worker's Village

It was deadly quiet in the old village. They approached the only two-story building, which was coated in white paint that had long since faded. Treading carefully over the grey dusty dirt, which occasionally got blown up into David's face by a faint breeze. Sarah stood beside him, her presence eerily silent.  
  
"There should be a method of emergency contact in there somewhere", she said, peering up at the building as if she some how knew that this is where the desired equipment would be found.  
  
"We'll all be out of here soon", she told them all, with one of her smiles that everyone would now expect. She's awfully cheery, even when she's in the middle of Hell on Earth, thought Karen, what's her game? Karen herself felt completely the opposite, which is fair enough when untimely death could come at any moment.  
  
Approaching the entrance, Sarah looked inside. The door lay hanging on its broken hinges. She moved it to one side and entered. Mike of course, followed her in immediately.  
  
The interior was a complete mess. The building, in the days of its use, would have been used a bit like a ranger station. All the defensive equipment that could possibly help against a dinosaur attack would have been kept here, from firearms to electric tazers. Boris, who had just come in, couldn't see any of that.  
  
The air inside was warm and stunk of neglect, there were also old papers scattered across the floor, some soaked by a mucky coloured liquid. The paint on the walls was peeling off very messily after years of exposure to weathering, and various bugs were crawling over the place. Foetid and decomposing was one way of describing it.  
  
Sarah climbed the stairwell, which was looking a little worse for wear. This time Mike didn't follow her. He was busy rummaging through the various documents littering the place, apparently having found something of interest. Obviously the smell didn't bother him, or the mysterious substance oozing between the waterlogged sheets of paper.  
  
"I've found it", came Sarah's voice from upstairs, "I'm sending the distress signal right now".  
  
Boris meanwhile left to go and explore the other buildings to see if they held anything of interest, and more importantly, use. The others just waited outside. This is too easy, thought Jo.  
  
She then noticed David occasionally glancing down an ally between two bungalows. He looked a little nervous, gripping his rifle fairly tightly. She put an encouraging hand on his shoulder, but he slid away, and muttered a few words.  
  
"I'll be right back", he said.  
  
Before she could stop him from doing anything he had strode off towards the source of concern, to confront whatever it may be.  
  
Walking slowly, and cautiously, he made his way towards the particular area of interest. What he was anxious about was a noise he thought he could hear, which sounded like someone, or something, stalking him from the bushes. He also thought he saw a flicker of movement, which indicated a possibility that there was danger. His mind drew up images of his first encounter with a Velociraptor, which sent a shiver down his spine. Unwilling to let an ambush of any kind occur after having come so far, he made his way down through the ally with his rifle raised. Then suddenly, jumping out as if to surprise whatever might have been waiting there, he emerged out onto the other side. There was nothing there. Just an upturned barrel, badly weathered and covered in rust. He was shaking now, adrenaline pumping through his body. He felt a little silly, but not for long.  
  
A hissing sound suddenly caused him to turn once more. He found he was face to face with a Velociraptor, which eyed him with an evil look, its retractable claws raised, and a jaw lined with razor sharp teeth threateningly parted before him. Further sound from behind him indicated that the creature was not alone. A second Raptor blocked any chance of escape.  
  
David didn't have a clue how he was going to get out of this one. A lump formed in his throat and an icy grip formed around his soul. He didn't have time to shout for help, as if it would do any good anyhow. He knew he would be ripped to shreds in seconds. The other option, which was even unlikelier; dispatching both creatures with his rifle, was sadly out of the question. All he could do now was pray, and feel his knees buckle slightly in fear.  
  
I've been lucky and now I'm dead, he thought simply, I couldn't always have escaped these situations. He swore at himself for having come down the ally, angry that he would die in a situation just out of sight from his friends. And angry that he would be leaving the woman he loved, and who loved him.  
  
The snarling predators however, had different ideas. The two raptors took a few steps backwards, and disappeared into the forest. This left David rather puzzled, and more notably, relieved. A wave of both confusion and emotion flooded him at that moment; his heart pounding in his chest, unbelieving that he had been once again spared a horrible death. With the beast's departure, he took his chance to escape, and started to run as fast as he could, back to the others.  
  
A Land Rover had entered the area, and was idly sitting in the space between the two stories building, and another smaller structure. Atop the vehicle was the unmistakable shape of the Oerliken Cannon, which was at present, controlled by a ruthless looking fellow, who had a face full of stubble and a mean look in his eye.   
  
It became evident that the murderous people who had made themselves known had stolen the vehicle for their own use. Everyone had grouped closely together behind a concrete wall, to stay out of sight. Making sure that the new arrival wouldn't spot him. David noticed the new danger, and joined the rest, keeping his body crouched as he approached the relative safety of the wall.  
  
This must be why the raptors fled, he thought. It was merely exchanging hunters, from raptors to humans, which in a sense, was much worse. To be hunted by your own species had something deeply disturbing about it, especially since the motives were unknown. David had remembered how Mark Harley had looked the moment a bullet had blow his brains out.  
  
As he crouched low down against the wall, he felt the warmth of an arm touch his shoulder.  
  
"Thank God, your okay", said a relieved voice. It was Jo, pleased to see that he was all right.  
  
His mind buzzing, David managed a reassuring smile, before peering cautiously around the corner, to survey the situation. Fortunately they hadn't been spotted. The three men seemed to have simply stopped, and were casually talking between them.  
  
"...See the way I nailed that sucker", David overheard one of the men's conversations. He must have been the sniper who took out Mark. He was filled with rage by the man's remark.  
  
"We can take them", he hissed violently between his teeth, struggling to keep his voice down, as he surveyed the assortment of weapons in the hands of the group. However, he also struggled to consider that the 20 mm cannon could be the end of them all in a frighteningly quick amount of time if they were seen first. It was Boris who brought him to his senses.  
  
"It would be best for us not do", replied Boris, realising that an ambush could possibly draw more enemies into the area as well, "We don't know how many there are of them".  
  
Looking round again, he noticed that they were armed with assault rifles, causing him to ponder what their purpose on the island was. They seemed a little too well armed to be just thieves, but he doubted that they were any proper militia group. Terrorists he thought, but what are they doing here?  
  
A sudden shriek from the bushes not far from the vehicle caused the three men to turn abruptly, a look of surprise on their faces. The raptors were back. One leapt out into the open, hissing menacingly. The man on the cannon started to swing the weapon towards the creature. One shot from that thing will open it like a can opener on a tin of beans, thought David, already picturing the creatures' viscera oozing out of its lifeless form. It was however, too late for them. The raptor was upon one of the men in seconds, his assault rifle knocked from his grasp, and out of reach. Three more raptors appeared, and took care of the two others. Two of the creatures fought over a corpse like two dogs with a rag doll, which was particularly nauseating to watch for the majority of the group. David looked on in a mixture of fear and hope. He was almost wishing the raptors luck in their attack. The Oerliken gunner had no chance anyway, he had been much too slow to react. The captured weapon was instantly splattered with red liquid and lumps, and the screams from Mark and Herman's killers seemed to punctuate the justice felt by David at that moment.  
  
"We better pull back, away from here immediately", suggested Sarah, "I'll lead us to the drop zone, my uncle will be waiting for us in the helicopter". For now the raptors were occupied. No animal kills for fun, thought David, in a bid to make him feel a little safer. The confrontation with the two creatures was still fresh in his mind. The group followed Sarah as quietly as possible, so the creatures could feast without interruption or the knowledge of even more meat nearby, if they took exception to this usual rule of nature that had just gone through David's mind.  
  
Through binocular vision the hunter stalked its prey, a man walking alongside an attractive blonde. 


	12. Betrayal

Jim could hear the sound of rotor-blades. He peered up through the dense forest canopy hoping to catch a glimpse of the helicopter that they might belong to, but to no avail. His mind pondered for possible reasons for it being there, but he could not think of one, except? But that wouldn't make sense he thought to himself, why would they require assistance from the air? Only two possible reasons came to mind. That the helicopter was from a completely different party, or that David and the others had needed to be rescued.  
  
He looked at Steve, who stared at him with a nervous expression, and then to Jack, and Hans who was just returning from the stream.  
  
"You hear that?" he asked them.  
  
"Hear it? You can probably hear it from anywhere on the island, of course we can hear it", replied Hans rather bluntly.  
  
"Why would they need rescue, we already have a method of getting off the island, the boats...", he stopped. Something was wrong.  
  
"We better head off in the direction its coming from", said Jim, rather obviously, "I think its this way, come on now, we have to be quick, I don't think that it is too far from where we are now".  
  
The four men headed off without need for debate on the matter. They all shared the same thoughts.  
  
The powerful military helicopter touched down. The down draft from the rotor-blades temporarily flattened the surrounding long grasses, and creating a rippling effect in the vegetation. It was finally over, thought David. But then his mind thought about Jim and the three others who had continued on the hunt.  
  
"What about Jim?", he asked Sarah, "We can't just leave them here".  
  
She looked back at him. There was a kind of darkness in her eyes that unnerved him.  
  
"We can fly over and around the island to search for them", she answered, "If they're alive", she then answered bluntly. David had by now lost any hope for the original missing team members and so only worried about the well being of himself, those who were presently with him and Jim, Hans, Steve and Jack. The side door of the helicopter opened, and out into the sunlight appeared Stan, who was grinning.  
  
"Someone order the chopper?" he called out to them with a sense of humour attached to the rhetoric question. A great sense of relief spread over the group. Sarah stepped forward, and gestured Mike to follow her. They were finally getting out of this Hellhole.  
  
"Mike and I shall go first", she said, "You never know what might be lying in wait, so go in twos", she explained her command. Karen didn't like it. She had had enough of being ordered around by the arrogant redhead, but conformed to it any way, because though she saw Sarah as an arrogant bitch, she seemed to be a smart arrogant bitch that had helped keep the group alive, so far.  
  
The quick walk to the helicopter was uneventful, though somewhat unnerving, and Mike happily climbed aboard and sat back in a leather seat, which felt luxurious against his backside after spending a few days on Isla Sorna. Sarah sat down beside him, and placed her hand upon his. She smiled at him, and he immediately felt comforted by her warmth.  
  
All of a sudden there was a terrific noise that caused the rest of the group to duck for cover. It took only a second for Mike to realise that they were under fire from a machine gun. The feeling of comfort quickly went.  
  
"Get us out of here", he heard Stan tell the pilot, shortly before he slammed the door shut. Sarah's grip tightened a little on Mike's hand. Mike felt the helicopter lift from underneath him. His concern fell now on the well being of the group members.  
  
David was face down in the dirt, almost eating it, as was everyone else who had dropped as soon as the firing had started. To stay upright would have meant certain death. He could sense the deadly projectiles that accelerated above and over him. Fortunately it seemed that the machine gun was unable to depress enough to hit them once they had taken the only little cover available, the grass. Everyone had their belly flat against the ground, and all wished for an end to the nightmarish scenario where chunks of metal death whizzed past at an uncomfortably close distance.  
  
Peering through a gap in the grasses, Karen could see the aircraft lift off from the ground. At first she thought it was probably just getting away from the sudden barrage bullets that had decided to pay an unwelcome visit, but then a dark fear gripped her soul, when she noticed the helicopter was moving away from the area. Slowly at first, but it quickly accelerated leaving the obvious conclusion that it wasn't coming back. The sound of the rotor blades pounding at the air got fainter and fainter.  
  
From not too far off, Jim had started to run towards the noise of the action, with his rifle ready for use. A round was chambered and the safety was off. He was ready to kill if necessary. Something was definitely wrong now. And he reckoned that the fading sound of the helicopter, which had shot over his head not a minute ago, didn't have his friends aboard.  
  
Probably a little cowardice amongst the rescuers, he thought, to the reason of the helicopter fleeing the area. He could picture his friends trapped by something, and that something was probably either a great beast or raptors. He expected to find them shooting from cover at something definitely worth a challenge. Otherwise the shooting would have stopped by now, he deduced.  
  
One thing puzzled him however. As a hunter, he knew weapons, and he although he could reason that they might have kept one of the 50. Cals, the sound of the machine gun he could hear was a little different. It sounded like an M60, but they hadn't brought any with them in the first place. Confusion spread through his mind. He quickened his pace.  
  
Mike was confused at all this. He saw the green forest shoot away from under him. Soon the sea replaced it.  
  
"Where are we going? We can't leave them there! We must go back!" he said in a panic stricken voice. His face now pressed against the glass window, looking out through horrified eyes. Reluctantly he was dragged back into his seat.  
  
Stan turned round to give him the answer. Sarah kissed Mike tenderly on the cheek. He felt a tear roll down his cheek, but not one of his own.  
  
"I'm sorry Mike", she whispered, her voice clogging up with emotion.  
  
It was too late for him. Stan abruptly pulled out a pistol, a glock semi-automatic, and aimed it at Mike. Mike froze at the sight of this. He felt his blood turn to ice. Time seemed to slow down, almost to a stand still, until the shot was fired, the sound amplified by the confines of the helicopter.  
  
He felt it slam into his right leg. It felt like he had been punched at first, but slowly the pain from the bullet came to him. Blood spurted from the wound, warm blood, unlike how he felt inside moments before.  
  
"Oh God", he half yelled, half-gasped in surprise and pain.  
  
Sarah had loosened her grip now, and she no longer appeared upset. Just before he lost consciousness, Mike turned his head to look at her. She was smiling at him. She looked different to him somewhat, darker, with an evil look in her eye. He then blacked out.  
  
The constant hammering of the machine guns died down. David stayed down, as did the others. There was no way of telling if they were still there or not, and simply waiting for someone to rise before riddling them with bullets. Everyone stayed down.  
  
David thought he could hear rustling, which would mean that people were leaving the area and therefore making it safe to rise. Stay down, he silently willed everyone, just stay down!  
  
Before long Jim had reached the area where there had been the one-sided firefight, and called out. To his surprise there was nothing to see. There were no dead raptors, humans or large predators.  
  
"David", he yelled, "Joanna", "Sarah..." He continued to call the names of those he hoped were still around. Steve was also calling, while Hans and Jack carefully walked out into the long grass, weapons at the ready.  
  
A noise caught Jim's attention, and he turned his head to see David emerge from the cover of vegetation, slowly so as not to surprise Jim. He approached him slowly as well. Though Jim posed no threat, he had not forgotten the beating he had received for the thoughtless comment he had made.  
  
"What the Hell happened here? I heard gunfire", asked Jim, a frown having formed on his face.  
  
"We were ambushed", replied David bitterly. He paused, and then continued.  
  
"Thanks for coming", he said, "You must have scared off the machine gunner".  
  
Jim managed a smile to his.  
  
"Think nothing of it", he told him, "I'm just glad that your all still okay", he said surveying the group. His smile faded at the absence of those who had gone.  
  
Looking around, Jim noted Sarah was missing.  
  
"Where's Sarah?" he asked, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.  
  
"Gone", replied David, "In the helicopter, along with Mike...they never came back for us". David was confused and suspicious. The craft had just left them there. He could imagine that if he were being double-crossed, that Sarah would have been rescued, but Mike? He then remembered that Mike had just got aboard at the right time and just so happened to be the lucky one who got saved.  
  
"What we'll do now I don't know".  
  
"Well there's one less super-predator to worry about anyhow", Jim explained, with a great sense of pride, "I have one of its teeth right here as a trophy". He proudly pulled out the monster tooth from his pocket for all to see.  
  
"But the Velociraptors are still out there", said Jo, slightly unimpressed since the thing that had owned that tooth had never bothered her personally.  
  
"Yes, well, I haven't seen any of those", replied Jim.  
  
"Believe me when I say we have", said David.  
  
He then noticed Hans looking rather puzzled, turning his head this way and that as if trying to locate something. Or someone to be more precise.  
  
"Oh Shit", cursed David, "This isn't going to be easy".  
  
"I will explain to him my friend"; came Boris's accented voice from behind him, "I have had to explain many unsettling things to people in my time". He then led Hans away, to tell him the grim news concerning his brother, as well as Mark's demise, who had been friends with the German as well. Boris did however neglect to tell him the details, since describing how Herman had been disembowelled and decapitated did not seem like it would comfort Hans. Hans took what little compensation he could by knowing his brother's killers, both the Baryonyx and the sniper, were dead.  
  
Seeing Boris again jolted Jim's memory, about the identification of the man, Arnold Banner, they had found inside the Spinosaur. Pulling it from his pocket he presented it to the Russian.  
  
"What do you make of this?" he asked, handing Boris the still warm and wet I.D. with the deceased man's details on it.  
  
"Well, it is a genuine Russian passport, though his appearance would have me think otherwise", Boris answered, "He looks more like someone from the west, and believe me I know the difference".  
  
Karen meanwhile, stared out at the sky, now starting to turn orange with the setting sun, a sick unsettling feeling beginning to conjure in the pit of her stomach. 


	13. Left Behind

"Well, what do we do now?" said Jo in an exhausted voice.  
  
It was the question David wished he knew the answer to. Everyone wished they knew the answer. He looked around the group. Weary, tired faces stared back at him. His mind then focused onto an important factor concerning the situation.  
  
"Why'd they leave us?" he said slowly, bewilderment forming in his voice.  
  
He understood the helicopter having to get out of the way of the gunfire, but he did not understand why they hadn't returned now that all was calm. The gunners had left, and no longer posed a threat so the lack of helicopter was quite confusing. Or so he wanted to think. The group's abandonment in the worst place in the world is not something that anyone could have done. It took great idiocy, cowardice or immorality to do such a thing.  
  
"Double-crossing serpent", he hissed under his breath, the ball having finally dropped.  
  
"Traitorous bitch!" came Karen's input, "I knew she was up to no good, I just knew it", her voice came in lashing anger out everywhere.  
  
"At least Mike got away though", said Steve, completely missing the point. It was either that or reluctance to accept the fact that his friend most likely faced a terrible fate, rather than a loving relationship with a beautiful girl.  
  
"Friends", spoke Boris to quell the uprising of bad words, "We must not stay in this place for long, we must find a way off this island". Boris believed that there was a solution for every problem. They just had to find it.  
  
"Your right", agreed David, "We must all think of something, since its stupid just sitting around having a rant about how bad the situation is, we need to get going if we're to survive".  
  
Thoughts did run through his mind, but they made little or no sense, whether because of the heat or fatigue, he didn't know. Boris seemed to have a rough idea though.  
  
"If we stick to the coastline we may be able to skirt round, and hopefully find a vessel or something else to use, there will probably be a dock like there was on the other island", he hoped his words invoked a new feeling of hope in his friends. Though hoping to find a boat just lying around in full working order did seem a little too unlikely.  
  
"I know its not the best plan, but it just might work", he continued, hoping to quell any scepticism.  
  
"Its our only hope Boris, it'll do", replied David, bluntly, "No-one else has thought of anything". His voice however, did contain a slight trace of hope.  
  
So the group, at last reunited, set off towards the roaring ocean that lay not too far away. It was a good time to leave too, since the predator; unbeknownst to them was still stalking its prey from the bushes, picking out David as the target.  
  
The military helicopter landed at its destination, an aged and rather large cargo ship, not dissimilar to the one's you expect to see along trading routes. It could have been built anytime during the cold war, but the vessel stood sturdy and strong. Two burly men carried Mike's lifeless body out of the aircraft, and set him down momentarily on the ground. His wound had been bandaged so that the blood had stopped pouring out through the hole in his leg. Sarah and Stan then appeared through the vehicle's side door.  
  
"That was some nice acting Sarah, if I didn't know any better I'd have said you really did care for him", Stan said, congratulating his niece on her charade.  
  
"Thanks, I did always enjoy drama class", she replied cheerfully, and almost surreally in such a scenario.  
  
The two men gestured to Stan, obviously enquiring about their burden.  
  
"What do you want to do with the body, boss?" one of them asked.  
  
"Take him down below", replied Stan, a broad grin forming on his face, "And leave him in the cargo hold. He will be dealt with shortly".  
  
The men reluctantly hauled Mike away. Though they were just thugs and didn't think very much, they had detected an icy coldness about Sarah. Sure she had just shot someone she knew and liked, or rather, pretended to like, but the way she could just completely ignore it chilled them both. Blocking such a thing out was, to the thugs, who only knew basic human emotion, quite wrong and almost inhuman. Though such a thing is actually quite human.  
  
Meanwhile Sarah stared out at the setting orange sun, through her dark, dark eyes.  
  
For half an hour they had been trudging along the beach. David didn't like the idea that every time he took a step, his presence in the area was left in the form of a trail of footprints. He wished that there would be a breeze or something to blow away the tracks and so conceal his pathway. There was no such luck. He even contemplated walking in the surf so that the tide would erase them altogether, but in the end he didn't bother. If humans were hunting them they would need to see them first, and with a sniper scope, he could be picked off in either case. Plus he didn't want to get his feet wet, they were already uncomfortable enough from all the trekking he had been through.  
  
Walking out in the open also made him feel uncomfortable. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for a predator to strike. Raptors came to mind again. They would be able to sprint out and get him, quite easily, and disembowel him then and there before anyone would be able to fire off a shot. He shuddered at the thought.  
  
Jo trudged alongside him; the whole exertion of the expedition had been quite a strain on her. Her muscles were sore and aching, and she found every step increasingly quite an effort. She had her arms around him, partly for comfort, partly for support and partly for protection.  
  
Karen and Steve were also tired, but they didn't notice it much. A fear for Mike's safety echoed through Karen's mind, whereas a general worry for a friend took place in Steve's. He didn't know what to think about the situation, and tried to block any negative thoughts out. He felt that optimism was more comfortable than the alternative, pessimism.  
  
"I must rest", said Jo finally, "I can't go on otherwise". She didn't like the idea of being out in the open either, but knew she would be an easy target anyway if her senses were dulled by fatigue.  
  
"I'm sure many of us feel the same way", replied Jim, "But I suggest we take a break over there". He was pointing at a rocky outcrop on the beach. If their backs were against them then nothing could come and get them from behind. Or could it? No, Jim cancelled that thought out as it was unnerving him and there was no other option.  
  
The great orange ball that was the sun got lower and lower on the horizon. Within minutes it had vanished, leaving darkness to spread out across the land.  
  
Night had fallen, and everyone was huddled up on the outcrop. No one was left standing, sitting or lying in the sand, as if it concealed some man-eating beast that would come up from beneath and grab them. No, the man-eating beasts here would get them wherever they went.  
  
Jack and Hans had set up a kind of weapons nest, as if there was going to be a stand-off and they would have to defend the outcrop. Jack even kept his Springfield aiming out down the beach; Hans did likewise with his Luger. Between them they talked about the situation they were in, and kept watch for any unusual activity, if such a thing existed on Isla Sorna. Hans had been numbed by his brother's death and didn't seem to mind talking about it, though it throbbed slightly, deep down.  
  
Bruce sat almost atop the outcrop, but with a rock strategically positioned between his back and head and the jungle so no one would be able to shoot him when he wasn't looking. Though he looked thoughtfully at the rippling texture of the water, and the moon light that it reflected, he didn't neglect the fact that there may be another sniper out there, watching, and waiting. He thought about fishing. Night was often a good time to fish, and the frequent splashing he could see in the shallow waters made him curse to himself that he hadn't any means of catching one. Even a clumsy old net would suffice, he thought. Nearby sat Ethan, still recovering from his painful encounter with the Carnotaur and Peter, who was pondering the current situation.  
  
Karen sat with Steve. They comforted each other through the loss of Mike, though it was less obvious with Karen who kept her deep personal feelings to herself. Boris looked out at the jungle, and considered its hidden dangers. Keeping watch, Karen thought. She had developed quite a bond with the Russian, even though before 1990 he would have been strictly an enemy, a communist aggressor intent on destroying the world her elders may have summed up to her. Though all that was really before her time.  
  
Bruce was still watching the activity beneath the waves. He scanned the area of sea and then noticed a large splash, which could have probably belonged to a large fish, such as a shark. He gestured to Peter to come and take a look.  
  
"Over by that cave, do you see it?" Bruce pointed in the general direction of the movement in the water. If it was a shark he would need to tell everyone to stay away from the water, since they tended to hunt at night and there may be the small risk of being hunted themselves, something that they could all do with a rest from.  
  
"Yes, I see something, but its actually coming from within the cave, I think", he agreed that there was definitely movement of some sort. A glint from something made them look further, almost straining their eyes against the darkness of the night.  
  
"I think we better go check it out", Bruce started to head down towards the cave, which was only a hundred yards or so away when David stopped him.  
  
"Where do you think your going?" he demanded, "We stay together or we might never see you again".  
  
"Sorry mate, but I think there's something that needs to be checked out over in that cave", came Bruce's reply, reluctant in being held back from finding out whatever it was.  
  
Unwilling to argue however, David replied to the man's excuse.  
  
"Alright then, if its that important, but if you go, we all go", he said, "We'll not be separated again".  
  
Gathering their things from their temporary resting-place, they all made the short but anxious trip to see what actually resided within the cave.  
  
Sarah stood in the bridge of the container ship. It was dimly lit, and her uncle was hunched over a chart, reading and taking measurements from it. He was planning out a route.  
  
A pair of strong arms slid around Sarah's waist. They belonged to her real lover, and bounty hunter, Roland Whiting, a very muscular and handsome, but ruthless man, with a shock of dark hair and deep blue eyes.  
  
"Guess who?" he said, in a deep voice. He planted a kiss on Sarah's neck, which tingled, against his lips. She turned round at that moment and gave him a proper kiss.  
  
"Its been awhile", she replied, when he managed to finally break away from her.  
  
"We're together again now"; he gave the obvious, but to Sarah, romantic remark.  
  
Changing the subject somewhat, he asked Stan, who had been busily ignoring the two while they enjoyed their embrace, a question.  
  
"I hear you've got one of them ready", he said, "And a test subject".  
  
"That is correct", Stan replied, still concentrating on the chart, "He's down below if you want to do it now".  
  
"In a little while", Roland replied, "First, I think I'll unpack", he looked at Sarah and smiled as he said this. Taking his hand she went with him down to his quarters.  
  
Bruce had been most correct in going to the caves. Upon entering they had found two military style hovercraft, with enough room onboard between them to carry everyone. The black finish of the vessels gleamed in the moonlight. Camouflage netting, with bits of navy blue material, had been carelessly draped across it. But it hadn't been enough to conceal the telltale splashes.  
  
"Everyone get on board one of these things, we leave now", ordered Jim, jumping into the pilot's position of the craft nearest the cave opening.  
  
"But to where?" came the realistic reply from Jo, "These things won't get us as far as Costa Rica or anywhere else. We'd die if we tried it".  
  
"That's true", said Jim, as he fumbled around, looking for a way to start up the engine, "But we can escape this island, and go onto the next". He looked up at them all, a look of hope on his face.  
  
"You mean Isla Nublar", said David, rather shocked at the proposal, "What good will that do, its no safer than this island".  
  
"Yes, but it would mean being hunted by prehistoric creatures, and only prehistoric creatures, rather than having the discomfort of being hunted by our own kind at the same time. At least we are generally smarter than the average dinosaur".  
  
David could see there was a point to it, though the comment about being more intelligent didn't make sense to him in the case of raptors. The others already had though without any hesitation, and he was the last to climb aboard one of the hovercraft.  
  
Boris took command of the second vessel. There was no guilt in stealing the vehicles after all that had happened. It would serve the previous owners right, if they are left to die here, thought Karen, who was aboard the second craft along with Steve and Ethan, and Hans.  
  
Both machines started, with a terrific amount of noise. They slowly rose up on their rubber skirts as the air rushed in beneath, generated by the great, but fortunately caged, fan whirring in the rear of each craft. Looking around the caves a light was suddenly switched on, flooding the cavern with a yellow and extremely unwelcome, artificial light.  
  
Turning round Karen could see that the cave system was quite a lot more complex than just a natural indentation in the side of a cliff. It was manmade, whether from the island's previous inhabitants or from these new ones she did not know. She saw cables giving the cave system electricity, attached to the walls, something that had been hidden in the dark. Two armed figures, with a look of genuine surprise on their faces, entered through a door that had also been hidden in the darkness. This isn't a cave, it's a facility, thought Karen.  
  
As one of the men, both armed with Kalashnikovs, swung his assault rifle to bear upon them, Boris swung round and fired his own firearm, shooting the man through the eye and splattering brains against the natural walls. Before the other man could respond, Boris squeezed off another shot, this time hitting his assailant in the neck. The man fell, clutching in futile at his wound as his very life drained away.  
  
"Go, go, go", yelled Jim. He pushed forward on the machine's throttle. The propeller roared into life, and at last he felt that he was finally going to be leaving the dreaded island.  
  
A dark shape loomed out of the night in front of them, accompanied with a chugging noise. Moments later a series of small explosions hit the water uncomfortably nearby. Gunboat thought Jim. These people have everything. He then caused the craft to lurch sideways to avoid another barrage of cannon shells, slamming the hovercraft into the side of the cave entrance.  
  
The sounds of footsteps behind him alerted him to the presence of even more men approaching, who menacingly began to aim their weapons. As he glanced around, half-concentrating on what was happening behind his back and half on keeping from being blown out of the water, he saw the enemy men fall one by one, accompanied by a series of sharp barks. Hans was putting his Luger to good use, taking out the aggressors before they had a chance to aim properly. It was probably the first time the weapon had been used since the forties. Boris meanwhile kept calm about the situation. He began to turn his craft around.  
  
"We'll have to go out the back way I think", he explained to the bewildered members of his own hovercraft, "I've figured it out, the cave system must connect with the river".  
  
"Follow my lead, and for God's sake hold on", he said to Jim, as he finished pointing his craft towards the back of the cave, and opened up the throttle.  
  
As Boris and those aboard his hovercraft roared off into the darkness, Jim immediately proceeded to follow. He got his own craft correctly positioned and didn't hesitate in pushing down on the throttle and accelerating away, just as more AK 47 toting thugs arrived at the scene. Now he let out a sigh of relief, once he had got out of range of the gunboat. Everyone held on to dear life as he swung round corner after corner in the darkness, following the roar and barely visible wake from Boris' craft.  
  
It was to his great relief when he emerged into the moonlight of the jungle a few minutes later. Upon seeing Boris' craft, he cut the throttle and slowed alongside it.  
  
"Good thinking Boris, there was no way we could have got out otherwise with that gunboat blockading us", he congratulated the Russian on his quick thinking, far too glad to be alive to bother asking how Boris had known what to do and where to go.  
  
They floated quietly along, the green waters murky.  
  
"We should be out to sea in about an hour and a half at this speed", said Boris quietly, "But we don't want to attract any attention, so I suggest we hide aboard and float to safety".  
  
Everyone agreed that this was a good idea, and lay down against the deck of the craft and hoped for the best. If they had to escape, they were comforted that there was still a chance, with the help of a powerful fan to push them away from potential danger.  
  
Leaving Sarah sleeping in his quarters, after a particularly exhausting romp for her, Roland donned a pair of black gloves and a high peaked cap. It would make one be reminded of a Gestapo officer, but it was actually a completely different uniform. He actually wore a Soviet officer's clothing, a dark green rather than the field grey of the Germans. It was time.  
  
Not of Russian descent, he looked a little out of place in his uniform, but terrifying nevertheless. As he passed the thugs in the corridor that had carried Mike down below earlier, he could sense their intimidation. His footsteps resonating against the cold steel floor.  
  
The predator walked slowly through the jungle, his head always tracking the floating craft on the river. Even though it was night, he could easily make out the shapes of people laying low within them. Something stirred in the river, a stream of bubbles could be seen. The predator stopped, and stalked away.  
  
After the hour and a half had passed, Boris peered up over the side of the craft's hull. He could plainly see the sea and the horizon, a most welcome sight.  
  
"We've done it my frien...", but before he could finish something hard slammed up from beneath him. He toppled over and landed on the deck, smashing his head against the throttle as he did so. Though the blow didn't quite knock him out he did receive a nasty cut on the side of his head.  
  
"What the Hell was that?" asked David from the other boat, but he knew perfectly well that everyone else was just as confused about what was going on as he was.  
  
A tremendous roar boomed out at them, a reptilian roar, and one that stirred Bruce's memories.  
  
"It sounds like it's from a Saltie", he exclaimed. His suggestion was suddenly verified when a great pair of crocodilian jaws opened up and emerged from the river.  
  
Jim was instantly reminded of the Spinosaur, as he peered into the huge pinkness of the gaping mouth, which reeked of rotting fish. This times however the jaws belonged to a croc, and not some super large dinosaur. He noticed just as the creature was about to slam its jaws down onto the boat pieces of rotting meat between its teeth. Its last meal, he thought. Before it could clamp down on the craft, he threw it into reverse and sped out of the way.  
  
"Make a break for it", Jim yelled, as he accelerated towards the opening, which meant the relative safety of the ocean. The gargantuan beast rose out of the water in front of them at that moment, allowing Peter to be able to identify it.  
  
"It's a Deinosuchus", he said, in amazement.  
  
"It's bloody big, that's what it is", came Hans' input.  
  
Jim struggled with the controls and once again reversed the fan so that they went backwards, out of harm's way.  
  
Bruce stared in awe as the beast crashed down. The giant crocodile however, was blocking their exit.  
  
"We'll have to lure it with something", he suggested.  
  
"Like what?" came the frightened reply from Jo.  
  
Before anything could do anything Bruce leapt into the water, and started swimming for the bank.  
  
"Bruce, get out of there", shouted Jim, immediately offering him a hand. But Bruce kept swimming.  
  
"Get out while you have a chance", he yelled over splashes, "I've seen these creature's in action before, they're all the same, I know how to outsmart them".  
  
The Deinosuchus was now leaving the entrance, and the time for escape was then. Accelerating, Boris took his craft out of there, while Jim looked on in stunned horror. Bruce had reached the bank by now and could be seen to holding something in his right hand, a pistol. How is he going to defend himself with that?  
  
"Get going", he said, "I'll be all right, you can get me after I've dealt with this bastard".  
  
So Jim sped off to safety leaving Bruce behind to tackle the monster alone. He felt quite confident.  
  
As the Deinosuchus came up to the riverbank it stopped, and stared at its target through a predator's gaze. It rumbled aggressively and hungrily from the depths of its throat. Man and beast stared at each other for a moment, and then the predator lurched forward.  
  
There was a gunshot, which rang out through the night.  
  
"Bruce!" yelled Jim. They all did. Calling his name. There was no answer.  
  
They waited until dawn broke for him to appear but he never did. Sadly, they turned the craft out towards the sea and moved away from the island that had brought them such misery. Out into the rolling waves they went, until Sorna disappeared from the horizon. 


	14. Bumpy Ride

There was a great feeling of loss within the group, as they floated on the waves. An air of silence hung around, except for the ever-present hypnotic sound of the ocean and the occasional gust from the sea winds. The propellers on the hovercraft had been shut off to allow them time to think out their course, while a makeshift job with a piece of rope had tied the two craft together, preventing them from drifting apart. Although the cushion of air was no longer holding them up, they could still float, though they could feel every single wave that rolled underneath them, and therefore rocked in the sea.  
  
"Well, what should we do now", asked David, who was lying down and looking skyward. He was mesmerised by the deep blue sky above him, its infinite appearance and the way it darkened as height increased.  
  
"Find our way to Nublar", replied Jo, logically. It was the plan that Jim had. She said the words without feeling though, as she was too exhausted to care much.  
  
"No great hurry", continued David, "I don't fancy going back to any dino inhabited island too soon", he continued to stare up at the sky, now focusing on the distant stratus clouds that formed miles above his head.  
  
"We can't stay out here forever though", reasoned Boris, "Jim what do you think?"  
  
"I agree, we must get to dry land as soon as possible", came the reply. Jim didn't fancy the idea of returning to danger so soon either, but he knew it had to be done. David knew this too, as did everyone else, but they all kept quiet.  
  
"We need to head north", explained Boris, "Isla Nublar is about 80 miles from here, shall we get going?" he questioned at the end of his statement.  
  
They all reluctantly agreed, before they either dried out from overexposure to the sun, or died of hunger and thirst. Boris fired up the engine of his hovercraft, as Jim undid the bonds keeping them both together. Once undone, the craft drifted slightly apart, and Jim went about turning on his own engine. The waves could no longer be felt now once the cushion of air effectively floated them above the sea. After finding the correct bearing, both vessels then shot off towards their destination.  
  
"What!" spat Stan angrily into the radio, "What do you mean escaped without trace?"  
  
"They've gone sir, they no longer exist on this island", replied the garbled radio communication through scrambled static.  
  
"Trooper, we destroyed the boats they arrived in, they can't have escaped unless they tried swimming", he continued. The man on the other end replied uneasily.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but they really have gone…" Before the man could finish, Stan aggressively slammed his fist down on the radio, shutting it off. He was still up in the bridge and proceeded to use the local communications system.  
  
"Roland, we need you up here immediately, a situation has arisen".  
  
Roland was well below deck, in a darkened room. It was the room that overlooked the cargo hold, where his subject was currently held. A smaller man in light green overalls was also standing there, his hand rested upon a lever. Stan's message blared out through a loud speaker within the room.  
  
"Damn", he said in response to the request, "I'm sorry Ed but it will have to wait, give it one of the beef joints for now". He turned with an almost military precision, and left the room, leaving the man named Ed a little disappointed.  
  
Up in the bridge entered Roland. As he entered he saw that Stan was in quite a state. Word of the stolen hovercrafts had just come through and Stan was furious.  
  
"Apparently our friends back on Sorna are still alive", he hissed through his teeth, "In fact, they're doing so well that they aren't even there anymore".  
  
Roland looked puzzled at this. He didn't even know who Stan was talking about, having never met them.  
  
"Two hovercrafts are out there somewhere", explained Stan to quell Roland's confusion, "Destroy them", he added coldly. With a simple command to follow Roland made his way down to the deck, happy now that he knew what he was supposed to be doing.  
  
They had been travelling along for quite awhile now. With Jim at the controls, David had reverted back to staring at the sky, since it seemed to comfort him. The endless limits of the dark blue world above him was a lot more optimistic than of the endless expanses of the deep blue world beneath him.  
  
There was little talking because of the loud drone from the propellers, which was what made their journey possible. There was little to say at this moment anyway.  
  
As David continued to stare up at the sky, he noticed something, a small object flying overhead, an aircraft. His heart leapt in his chest.  
  
"Hey, I can see an aircraft", he yelled above the din of the engines to alert everyone. They all looked up as well and saw that indeed there was a small helicopter above them. It appeared to have spotted them since it was coming nearer. Upon closer inspection he could identify it as a 'Little Bird', a small two-seater often used in observation roles. Both hovercrafts stopped, so that they would be easier to identify.  
  
The first suggestion was that it was from the Costa Rican military, probably doing a routine patrol. They wouldn't be too happy to see that their restriction rules about the island had been breached, but that was a small price to pay for survival. What everyone could now hope for was safety of the mainland. It would almost certainly be guaranteed. There would be no need to get to Nublar anymore.  
  
This thought lingered momentarily in David's mind, but soon disappeared as a more disturbing thought emerged. This was backed up by the extra details he noticed on the small helicopter as it got closer and closer. On either side of the craft were two cylinders. The helicopter lined up as if to fly straight over them, hopefully just for identification purposes.  
  
"Start her up", He murmured to Jim, "I have a very bad feeling about this".  
  
"I think you have something there", Jim replied, his eyes fixated on the ever nearing flying machine. Boris switched on his own machine and started moving away, slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed.  
  
"Quickly, quickly", he willed Jim to hurry, but there was a problem.  
  
"It won't start", came Jim's cold words, "The wretched thing won't start".  
  
"Here, let me try", hurried David, who grasped at the ignition switch. He started flipping it on and off, on and off, but to no avail.  
  
"Come on, come on", he hissed.  
  
The 'Little Bird' came ever closer.  
  
"Please God, please".  
  
It was almost over their heads by now.  
  
A sudden roar filled his ears and he jammed the throttle to maximum power, just as the two cylinders on the small helicopter unleashed a devastating barrage of fire, causing great plumes of spray to rise out of the water. It was now clear that the two cylinders were mini guns, a weapon quite capable of cutting the hovercrafts in two. It had wasted its first salvo, but Jim knew it would take great skill in surviving the second encounter. All he could do was pray that his brief experiences as a hovercraft pilot paid off.  
  
"Idiot", snapped Roland to the pilot, "You came in too fast, I need you to fly a lot slower to get an accurate shot at them".  
  
Without a word, the pilot just pulled back on his control column and turned back for another pass. Roland controlled the two mini guns from the co-pilot's position, having the ability to point the barrels up and down, but having his shot depend much on the pilot's ability. He also knew how limited the mini gun was in ammunition, which is why he sparked off at the pilot after the first failed attempt.  
  
Hoping to get it right this time the pilot lowered his airspeed as he came after Jim's vessel. As the distance between him and the target closed Jim started to zigzag his machine, confusing the pilot. Jim then shot straight underneath the 'Little Bird', as Roland fired off another shot, this time tilting the guns up and down to spread the fire and cover more area, in response to Jim's evasive manoeuvre.  
  
"You were much too slow this time, imbecile", Roland once again insulted the pilot, "How do you expect me to get an effective shot if we're practically stationary?"  
  
There was only one more chance now, unless he managed to successfully snipe at them with the mini guns, an almost impossible feat with such an inaccurate weapon. Collateral damage was the mini gun's way of dealing with things.  
  
Chasing Jim in his hovercraft the helicopter lined up for a strafing run from behind.  
  
"Now", yelled Roland, "I have them, more speed, more speed, they're slipping out of range you stupid bastard".  
  
The pilot pushed forward on the throttle, giving the 'Little Bird' the requested extra speed, but as Roland fired of his last burst of firepower, Jim turned his craft out in a long lazy arc to the left.  
  
"Turn, turn", Roland yelled out in desperation as Jim took advantage of the helicopter's blind spot. The 'Little Bird' did so, but much too late. The last of the mini gun rounds exited the rotary barrel, and were wasted to the sea.  
  
"Bastards!" he cursed.  
  
Defeated, the small aircraft headed back to where it had come from. Stan didn't intimidate Roland at all, no matter how much the guy blew his top, so reporting failure was only a defeat to Roland personally. He was, after all, sleeping with the man's niece. If I ever run into those people again, he thought, I will wipe them off the face of the Earth. 


	15. Luck Can't Hold

Nerves were especially tense right now. The same thoughts kept getting mulled over in the minds of the group, who bobbed quite clueless on the never-ending carpet of ocean. What they had just experienced had been sheer luck, and nothing else.

Partially slumped over the controls, in both exhaustion and shock, David stared wide-eyed out at the horizon. Although out of his field of vision, he could sense that everyone else was doing a similar act.

It was inevitable however, that somebody would have to break the silence.

"Now that's what I would call luck", Boris called out, half-laughing, though he was still alarmed by what had just gone on.

"Too right", muttered another of the group, Peter, to be exact. David couldn't help but feel that this simple statement was a little, well, simple, for a professor.

"I don't believe in luck", put in someone else. The comment made heads turn.

Jo smiled, and then she spoke again.

"I believe in fate", her words sounded somewhat sweet to David, and it lifted him momentarily into a happier plain, and not one that consisted of an eternal blanket of blue rolling beneath him.

He smiled back at her.

On the horizon, the foreboding shape of Isla Nublar loomed into view.

* * *

As the flying-machine set back down onto the deck, the pilot could still feel the heat coming off of Roland. He was quick, and wise, to scurry away as soon as it was possible, leaving the man in the helicopter to continue fuming.

Climbing out of the machine, he came face to face to with Stan, whose face was also beset with a grim expression. He ducked away, and disappeared below deck even faster than he had exited his aircraft.

"I take it from the evasiveness of our pilot friend, and the fact that the cockpit interior is now covered in a layer of condensation, that you failed your objective", Stan spoke slow and slightly riled.

The presence of any irritation in Stan's voice was too much for Roland though.

"Then why don't you go out there and finish the job", he boomed back.

Stan flinched at this. He may have been in command of this show, but Roland was still the superior by physical standards, and was more than capable of 'putting him to rest'. Whether he would dare do such a thing was a different matter though. Whether he wished to find out, was yet another.

"You know I can't have them still out there; alive!" he instead, explained, his voice a lot softer than it had been before.

Fortunately Roland had also apparently cooled down by now, his face no longer red with the heat of hate. Though the projection of some of his veins, along his arms and on his neck, still indicated that he was still being fuelled by that powerful emotion.

"Have the 'Little Bird' re-supplied with ammunition", he gave a quick and simple order.

"Very good, my friend", Stan's reply showed that he was getting back his courage, "Should I send for the pilot…"

"No", the blunt answer cutting him off, "This time I will go out alone. I know how to fly these things. Have the firing systems connected to the main control column. And make it quick!"

Roland clambered out, stretched, and walked off towards the bridge, and where a certain girl was waiting for him. Stan gave a few signals to any crew members within the vicinity to start working. In moments, a couple were hauling out crates of ammo, along with tool kits and anything else that would be needed for the quick maintenance work on the helicopter. Soon, and very soon, the deadly machine would take to the air once more.

* * *

"How far now?" asked David. It was a question that everyone wanted to know. It was also one that no one really had an answer for.

"I can only hazard a guess, my friend", answered Boris, "But judging by the appearance of land over there, we must be close to our destination."

He gestured at the horizon.

"So, soon", he added.

Soon. A very broad term, which could have meant any amount of time, from a few seconds, to a few days even. From his statement, David could tell that the Russian obviously was unsure of how well, exactly, the hovercrafts would manage on their final leg of the trip. Fuel wasn't exactly in abundance, and the engine wasn't too trust-worthy either.

No, all they could do was bob there, and hope for the best. For now anyway. Perhaps the prevailing currents will be favourable, thought David, as he continued to rest on the controls. Fuel was low, and powering off to nowhere in particular was just going to get them all killed. No, time was needed to think this through.

* * *

After meeting his lover on the bridge, who had been overlooking his landing, to make sure everything was well no doubt, the two had made their way down into the darker belly of the ship, and to greet its even darker secret.

Entering a room overlooking the loading bay's pitch black interior, Roland flipped a switch. With a noisy crack, the electrical systems came to life, flooding the area with a dim, but adequate light. Below them, seated in a chair and tied firmly, was the young man known as Mike.

Fool, you bloody fool, thought Sarah. How could you have been so gullible?

"The final test subject", she said.

"And what fun this is going to be", she added, under her breath.

Roland did hear it though, and grimaced slightly, especially at the hint of ecstacy carried by her breath. He knew that his lover was quite a dark and sinister example of the female of the species, yet it was sometimes an unsettling fact to acknowledge. After all, he had always been brought up to believe that women were the caring ones, and it was he, and every other man that was the hunter. But Sarah? He could easily bring parallels up from the animal kingdom. The one he detested most was that of the Black Widow Spider, a tiny but lethal invertebrate that had the tendency to devour its mate during breeding.

Sarah approached a microphone, which stuck out of a console, and placed a hand on a lever. She prepared to start the test.

* * *

With his hands tightly bound to the point of cutting into his flesh, Mike sat in agony. He had barely come around, before he was hit by an intense wave of pain and discomfort. The strong and cruelly thin rope, despite cutting into him, was nothing compared to the feeling of horror and fear that currently engulfed him though. His gunshot wound throbbing and aching, he sat, restrained, and expectant but unprepared for the worst.

"Michael Quinn", a sinister and familiar feminine voice crackled out into the dark space above his head. The sudden noise made him lurch a little, though he didn't go far. Unbeknownst to him, the source of the sound originated a mere few metres above his head, shielded by a two-way mirror, and accompanied by the femme fatale who had ultimately caused Mike to arrive in his predicament.

"You should be honoured", the voice continued, in mocking tone, "You are to be part of a grand experiment."

Upon hearing these words, Mike could only expect the worst possible situation. He might have been gullible, but he wasn't that gullible. He gibbered a little at the silence that followed that statement. Perhaps it signalled the end? Though a following sentence about half a minute later indicated that whoever was behind the voice was merely playing with his subject; a means of psychological torture, keeping the victim 'on the edge' while they were expecting death.

"In case your wondering who this is…" it then said, but was followed up with, "Oh, now that would be a silly question wouldn't it?"

"You stupid little boy", it mocked, "I can't believe you fell for such a blatant trap. Didn't you ever suspect that anything odd was going on? I knew you had your naïve eyes on me from the start, and it's your fault for being so obvious. You're pathetic, and nothing more than a loser, falling for such a charade. You'll be no great loss to society; not like you'd have ever reproduced anyway."

Mike felt the tears begin to well in his ducts, something that couldn't be helped at all in a situation such as this one. A hard lump had been formed in his throat, and he spluttered a few half-strangled chokes of emotion. Those words bit deep, and down to the bone. Such cruelty, and he would never know why.

* * *

Her speech delivered, Sarah stood and watched the quivering life-form through the barrier that separated her form the cargo bay. She was aware that he couldn't see her, but she gave him a lethal smirk anyway.

Roland stood in the corner of the room, slightly revolted by her announcement a few seconds earlier, and his arms crossed. He knew what was going to happen next, and it was something he found a little nauseating. Shredding people in boats with a mini-gun on the other hand, was no problem. But this? He coughed to emphasise his trace of disgust.

Sarah paid no attention to it, and turned towards him, her eyes beaming, and obviously showing some form of excitement. He stared back at her.

"The fun part", she exclaimed, and she yanked down on the lever with a violent jerk. Roland cringed, and was just glad that he was standing as far away from the two-way mirror as possible. Sarah however, pressed herself against the glass, like a child does on their first trip to the zoo.

* * *

This time there was no follow up sentence, and those last words that Mike would hear burned into his soul. It was quite true; he had never had a girl-friend, and had always had the worst luck when it came to relationships. Now, it seemed, he was condemned for having merely tried. At that moment, he felt worse than scorned or hated; unloved.

A heavy rattling sound resonated within the bay, evidently belonging to a mechanism. Though he had no way of seeing what was making it, he guessed that it was probably a door of some kind.

The next sounds he heard made his spine freeze.

Again, the noises were heavy, with a clack against the metal floor of the hold. He also heard breathing, and he could tell that what was creating these sounds was very big.

A bright light suddenly flashed on overhead, firing a beam down over Mike's position. He was high-lighted by the fierce magnitude, which made his eyes hurt momentarily, before they adjusted, and he saw it, for the very first time.

"Metriacanthosaurus", that feminine voice triumphantly boomed out through the speaker.

Mike gazed up at it. At eight metres in length, and standing roughly four metres tall, it was smaller than the T-Rex he had always envisaged as a monster, but it was big enough. It was more slender as well, and had formidable arms rather than a pair of relatively small two-fingered limbs like the "King of the Lizards". And also, those jaws would definitely be able to bite a man in two, and swallow him that way, if not whole.

The creature's flanks were a sky blue in colour, and it was decorated in a tiger-like stripe pattern, of a very dark green, almost verging on black. Adorn its skull was a bumpy ridge, which ran along the top and centre of its snout. There were also ornate circular markings running along its eyes, but such a detail is left unappreciated at time like this.

Mike went to scream. A terrified howl strangled out, aided by the pain which coursed through his body. The creature reared back its head and let out its own roar then, a terrific raspy growl, not dissimilar to a chainsaw, before dealing a final and fatal blow that would end Mike's status as a living human being.

Mike braced himself as a pair of parted and powerful jaws rocketed towards him. He wouldn't feel much, and ended up passing out soon after, when those great teeth punctured his torso and a tremendous shaking motion caused critical damage to his internal organs.

The force snapped his bonds, and had him lifted up into the air, as the Metricanthosaur took a step back, its prey now in its grasp. As the bite force squeezed down on him, he coughed out his final lungful of air, a bloody mess, accompanied by some of his lungs, which splattered onto the floor.

Excited laughter was the last thing to be heard, as Mike faded out. Seconds after that, his body fell into two halves; his lower parts thumping onto the floor, while his head, torso and arms made their way down the gullet of the ravenous carnivore. For his sake, it was just as well he was no longer alive.

* * *

Pupils wide with arousal, Sarah stood gazing at the bloody spectacle before her. Pupils constricted in disgust, Roland remained in the corner of the room, gazing at her. Perhaps if he'd known exactly how twisted his lover had been, he may not have bothered in pursuing a relationship, though she did have something that made her attractive to him, since he wouldn't have dreamed of leaving her. It's not that he had a weak stomach for killing either; he had just been trying to massacre two vessels crowed with people after all, something he was going to try again soon as well. It was just that watching someone get killed and eaten by a creature that wasn't of this world just had that nauseating factor to it.

Watching her hand, he grimaced, as it slid down into her body and into her underclothes. She closed her eyes then, and a few moments later, gave a quiver. Roland was visibly repulsed by his lover's turn on.

"I think I better leave you to it", he exclaimed, not bothering to hide the disgust from his voice.

He left at that moment. Sarah stared after him, and smiled. He wasn't leaving for ever, and she knew it. She once again thrust her fingers into herself and savoured another moment. Below the Metriacanthosaur chewed on Mike's bloody carcass.

* * *

I must remember to give those workers praise, thought Roland, as he buzzed along in the small chopper a mere few feet above the waves. It wasn't particularly choppy, and he enjoyed the feeling gained from zipping along at ground, or in this case, sea level, watching the scenery flash past.

Not only had the engineers enhanced the weapons system in the two mini-guns so that it could be fired by the pilot, but they had also fine tuned the air-foils, so the craft now flew as stable as it ever had. It was particularly pleasant.

Definitely, he thought again, I will grant them a day's leave; splendid work, unlike that dolt of a pilot. Had it not been for the incompetence of that individual, he wouldn't have had to repeat this trip. But, as it turned out, he was enjoying this flight. It gave him a short while to himself, and also got him away from Sarah temporarily, whose actions during the experiment had disturbed him somewhat.

He decided to not think about that for now, choosing to stick to the task at hand. Scanning the ocean for the hovercrafts, he eventually found what he was looking for.

Tipping the rotors forward slightly, he accelerated in for the kill.

* * *

They all looked at the approaching craft, wide-eyed with horror. Critical moments lapsed, where they did nothing, but look on. They couldn't escape twice, could they? No one would know unless they tried. Hurriedly, David leapt to action, trying to start up the fan again. The ignition had been cut earlier, so as to save fuel while they thought out a plan. A bad idea, it would seem now.

The contraption was proving itself to be just as difficult as it had been during the first experience. Trying with all his hope and might, David could not get it to work. Swearing angrily, he simply gave up and looked back at the fast approaching helicopter, or a pocket gunship, which would probably be a more fitting description.

Time slowed, and an ambient hum filled his ears. The fiery flashes from the craft's mini-guns weren't nearly as impressive as the great white plumes that erupted out of the ocean's surface, drawing a deadly line towards the remaining hunter group.

All anyone did was watch. David thought he could hear screaming, but his ears didn't seem to be working properly. He watched the plumes trace their way towards the other hovercraft.

Those aboard did act however. Just before they were struck, Boris made sure that Karen followed him over, as he fell back off the craft in a bid to escape. Stan and Ethan scrambled off as well, as a curtain of lead quite literally ate the hovercraft. Had Hans not lost his footing, he would have probably escaped as well. But fate decided to claim another.

David himself fell back, the sudden shock of being submerged bringing him back to a full state of alertness. It had been a grim sight; the German now nothing more than a red and bloody paste.

He went to swim away from the craft, but then remembered Jo and the others. The rest had followed suit at once. He held out his hand so that Jo wouldn't be lost. If they weren't to live through this, then they would die as he felt right; together.

The miniature gunship had swung round now, preparing to dispense the rest of its ammo. Once again, vicious plumes appeared. But this time they weren't racing towards the vessel, oh no, they were aimed at the thrashing group of people in the water.

David saw this.

"Get under", he yelled. Breathing out sharply, he allowed his body to slip under, pulling Jo with him. Jim understood and did this too, just as the monstrous wall of metal thundered into his position.

But for Jack and Peter it was quite a different story. The latter never had a chance. He had been too slow to respond, and had therefore been reduced to a similar collection of red rags as Hans had.

Jack on the other hand, had almost made it. He'd never managed to sink deep enough, and was bisected by the stream of mini-gun rounds. It took him by surprise, the sudden loss of his lower half, and he quickly faded in a crimson cloud.

* * *

Emerging from the surface, David breathed in the biggest lungful of air he had ever managed. He had only been under for about half a minute or so, but it had seemed like a lifetime. The first thing his sense screamed at him was the helicopter, and whether it was still present. The sound of rotors was already fading. He had survived yet again, but for how long now, he couldn't tell.

They tried to regroup, but there were those who were missing, as well as dead. Jack, Hans and Peter were now fish-food, and two members gone, Ethan and Steve.

Karen and Boris paddled up along side. She looked particularly dazed by the experience, so the strong Russian had her in his arms, to make sure she wouldn't slip away too. David was in a likewise similar situation with Jo. Jim, just floated there; alone, and tired.

* * *

The ongoing tumble of the surf against the beach was the first thing that Steve noticed, as he came around. It had been a frightful experience, one that he had had the unfortunate luck of going through twice.

His situation had also got a lot worse.

Getting to his feet, he looked around. He was completely and utterly alone. Or so it seemed.

As a group, there was always a good chance of making it out alive. But when you were isolated, you had only your wits and self-determination to get you out. Sometimes that wasn't enough.

The fear coursing through him, accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, he was unable to think what to do, except walk. He did that, skirting the beach, hoping that it would allow his senses to sharpen after his ordeal and give him a plan of action.

He had been here before, and there had been a Visitor's Centre. If he could get there, it might give him a chance of survival. He'd have to evade the creatures of the island, and possibly even his own kind to. It was his only hope. He had no choice. Swallowing hard, against fear that made his legs turn to jelly, he set off.

Only a few hundred metres away, the confused Ethan awoke after and almost identical experience. He came to an almost identical conclusion as well, enveloped in almost identical fear of being alone in such a dangerous place. The docks, he decided. He knew about their existence from maps he had seen of the island. As long as this was Nublar, he may be able to make it to a vessel of some description. He set off along a different route.

* * *

They had been floating there for hours, bobbing helplessly. The wrecked hovercrafts had since been carried away by the currents, and so the group was left, huddled in a group in a bid to fight the cold from being in an ocean far too long. It was not just the temperature they had to battle with though, but the sharks.

Their first priority had been to get as far away from the rosette of carnage as possible, since the predators of the sea had almost immediately taken an interest in the new flavour of fish food that they had been gifted. Or perhaps it wasn't so new. It made Jo judder with fright, as she clung to David tightly, always looking down at her submerged lower half to make sure nothing was going to come and grab her.

That had dissipated by now though, and the initial frenzy had died down. Only a few late-comers remained, scavenging for left-overs. One had come a little too close to Jim, but hadn't bothered with the group as a whole. He hoped that it would stay that way.

No one really spoke. To do so was too much effort. David looked up at the sky. It was beginning to darken. Had they really been there so long? It had indeed felt like forever, but logic had reasoned that that wasn't possible. But for the sun to be setting meant that the feeling of being stuck out there for an eternity was perhaps no too far off.

David tried to drown his dismay at realising this by thinking about people across the world who had been in similar situations, being stuck out at sea for even longer than he had. Stupid, he thought, angry at himself. How is that a similar situation? They had been enjoying a cruise or some other comfort just before, not having just spent their past couple of days on an island of death!

There was nothing to do though. Perhaps this was it, and that the grim reaper had final caught up with them. God knows how long he's actually been on my heels, thought Jim, his mind swept with similar despair over the situation.

But then, out of the twilight came a sound, a kind of throaty chugging noise. They all knew what it was. The profile of a boat appeared. Its armament gave them a blatant hint about who owned it.

A bunch of surly men appeared on deck as the engine died down and the grey gun-boat came to a halt. Lines were thrown and the group eventually found themselves on deck, comforted by dry towels, but menaced by sub-machine guns.

No, it isn't the end, Jim thought again. Its just the beginning of the next chapter.


	16. Two Deaths Two Feasts

The jungle here wasn't much different from the jungle back there. Both were jam-packed full of deadly species, and both were alien to him.

Steve staggered through the forest, sweat dripping down his face and dampening every garment on his body. He had been walking around in search of the Visitor's Centre for a while now. He hadn't encountered any predators, which struck him as strange, and only made him even more uneasy. Surely the remnants of any luck he had would run dry soon, and he would probably stumble into the den of a Tyrannosaur or some other large and ravenous beast.

Despite the lack of monstrosities, he had seen several plant-eaters, though from a distance, that had had long pompadour like features jutting out of the backs of their skulls, and a duck billed snout, drinking down by the river side. Then there had also been quite a few small bipedal and generic looking lizards, of a dark blue colour, and slightly thicker limbed than those pesky Compies. Steve shuddered; he had remembered how badly Herman had been bitten by the tiny but lethal Compsognathus pack.

Fortunately, these slightly bigger creatures appeared to be totally harmless, and kept a wary distance. According to a faded plaque, a sight which made him long for civilisation, he learnt that they were Segisaurs, a carnivorous species of no more than a metre in length. It appeared that he was in their paddock, or so he guessed judging by their dense abundance.

Discovering their meat-eating capacity made him even more cautious, despite their distancing themselves, and he quickened the pace. Anything that ate meat on this island was something he wished to keep well away from.

Hopefully, and soon, the Visitor's Centre would appear, before anything else did. The island couldn't be that big after all; something that both relieved and worried him at the same time. Pressing on, he hoped for the best.

* * *

Ethan was hopelessly lost. He thought he had been travelling north, but now he wasn't so sure. Increasingly he became more and more paranoid, jumping at the slightest noise from the undergrowth.

He had a right to be anxious though. Trekking through a dense and unfamiliar environment, with pessimism clouded over you, wasn't a good example of the best of days.

To make it even worse, if that was possible, he felt that he had been going round in circles. In fact, he could swear that he had gone past the same area before, judging by a rather familiar looking fallen tree.

Such an occurrence made him feel very, very, dispirited.

It was long before the first interaction with the forest occurred. He was clueless to his exact location on the island, his knowledge being limited to merely "somewhere where I don't want to be". He felt it could be right in the centre, or just a hundred metres from the coast. Though since he was still alive, he didn't assume he was too far in. He remembered hearing that predators preferred the interior over the island's perimeter. And what's more, the sound of waves tumbling against the shore could be heard. Or at least, Ethan thought he could hear them. If they were there, then it was quite obvious. He really hadn't got that far.

The next moment his ears picked up something altogether different to the sound of waves, a noise that made him forget about where he was altogether. It was definitely a sound uttered by some kind of creature, and one he couldn't see, yet. Playful yelps sounded out from behind a sheet of foliage. Hesitating, Ethan took a few steps forward, so he could peer and see what it was.

They were beautiful creatures, taller than a man, and covered in yellowish/green skin. Some were decorated with leopard like spots, whereas others appeared relatively plain. Most notable was a pair of ornate crests atop their heads; again they varied, in pattern as well as in size. The decorations of those were even more dazzling than the skin markings on some of the bipedal animals. Ethan watched from cover. He came to the conclusion that it was probably a male and female difference. And then, that this gathering was a family, like a herd, or a pack. Another thing he noticed was that there appeared to be variants of the animals. There were slender beasts, with an elongated skull, and there were shorter versions, greener lizards, with stubbier snouts. He could see sharp teeth in both "species" mouths and so decided it best not to discriminate.

All the fear and exhaustion seemed to leave his body, and he once again remembered his purpose for having come on the expedition. To learn, and to study what was a once in a life time chance to see something that only a few other human beings had ever seen before. Or ever will he finished that thought almost triumphantly.

They longer creatures appeared to have rather delicate jaws, deeming them likely scavengers. With no carcass in sight, he imagined that they would be passive enough. If there was no kill to guard, then they should have no motive to attack, and in fact, would probably most likely ignore his presence. That is what animals tended to do anyhow, and Ethan knew this. He majored in zoology, after all.

Another feature he noticed was the dexterous fore-limbs. He pondered over why such a creature would require dexterity. Another glance revealed that they possessed opposable thumbs. The discovery made his heart leap in excitement. Such a thing to be found on a reptilian creature, he thought anyway, was certainly worth getting excited about. For a short while, he no longer envied anyone back home. In fact, he pretty much pitied them for missing out.

It was just that though; a short while. Rustling from behind jerked him back to the full blown reality of the situation, and it was there that he came face to face with it. One of the creatures, albeit, half the size.

Relief flooded him. The quizzical creature was relatively small bearing in mind the greater size of the others, probably just a juvenile, a youth, and from the way it was wary, not a threat. It appeared, from the shape of the snout, to be one of the greener lizards.

"Well, hello", there he said, almost surreally, "You're not dangerous at all, are you?" He laughed somewhat. Had anyone else been with him, they would have done best to have been laughing at him. He had just broken one of the golden rules of survival. Never assume.

He staggered back, his belly felt ablaze with acute pain and the sensation that he was on fire. It had happened quickly. A veil of skin, something he had failed to realise the importance of, evidently a frill, had flashed up for a split second, with an almost hypnotic pattern displayed upon it, and something soft and gooey had then smashed into his chest. A little of the organic material splattered up into his face, some finding its way into his eyes. It burned, though it wasn't quite blinding. He could still see his assailant very clearly. Buckling somewhat, he gasped for oxygen. The creature had rushed him after it had spat the black mess from its mouth, and had practically knocked him off his feet. Blood rushed into his ears like a fast flowing river. He could only focus on the intense pain, never mind the gore, mixed with a substance that burned his wound even more, now running down his front. Gazing down though, he saw something that would shock him half to death. His intestines were bulging out and practically trailing down against his knees, soaking his trousers with warm fluids.

Panicking, he tried to push them back in. That grossly misinterpreted noise sounded out again, alerting him that his attacker was still very much aware of what was going on. It was the same playful squeak, though it was anything but endearing.

Feeling fear, he looked back upon the creature, which had now cocked its head expectantly, much like a dog about to receive its meal. Hell, that wasn't just coincidence either.

Despite the pain and shock, Ethan ran. Or as best he could anyhow, with his entrails hanging out. The Dilophosaur paced after him, slowly, and almost mockingly, as he stumbled around through the bushes. Those dexterous claws had done their work, and they now dripped with blood.

The environment was already beginning to darken around him, a sign that death was near after such a dramatic loss of blood. Nevertheless, he kept fighting that losing battle for survival.

Suddenly, it was all over. As he had turned to face his pursuer, he had unwittingly backed up onto a slope, which suddenly dropped down quite steeply, only feet away. His ending was inevitable. As he made his way backwards, he fell, and painfully tumbled down, getting dirt into his already fatal wound. It smarted like nothing he could imagine, and he pleaded for his end to be soon. Many men might fear death in such a situation. Thing is, when that situation comes and you are desperate, you just want the hurting to stop.

He lay unmoving at the bottom of what wasn't that large a hill. A grotesque and soaked pink rope, which was connected to him, had managed to wrap itself around a projecting tree root. The sight made him cringe. His entrails had got caught on the way down, and his guts were now spread out over three metres of ground. He stared and stared at them, unable to move his eyes elsewhere. He was shocked, terrified and in a strange way, fascinated all at the same time. He knew he was dead by now anyway, and so didn't see the point in feeling just fear anymore.

A sharp twinge in his abdomen did make him jerk around though. The creature had already begun its meal. That fascinated him as well, as he watched the beautiful crested skull, with a jaw full of sharp, yet delicate teeth, dig into his flesh. It hurt less and less after a while, and he was beginning to feel more and more detached from his body; just as well really when your being eaten alive.

He would eventually pass away, albeit not as quick as he would have liked, but nevertheless he did pass away. Now alone, the Dilophosaur enjoyed its protein rich feast, which would no doubt help it survive another week or so in the harsh ecosystem of Isla Nublar.

Ethan had let his guard down, and he had paid the ultimate price.

* * *

Steve pumped his legs as hard as he could. If he wasn't trying so desperately hard to survive at that moment, he would have marvelled at how his body had managed to keep him going. He felt that the amount of adrenaline that coursed through him could have powered a fighter jet.

Again that psychologically terrifying bubbling and hissing call shrieked out from behind him. Evidently, he had only managed to maintain a distance between him and the monster, not gained it. And that just wasn't good enough. Sooner or later, he would tire. And then he would find out whether he lived or died. It really was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

One moment he had been walking at a maintained pace through the forest, his senses at full alert to make sure he wouldn't be ambushed. He'd been so sure, as well, that there hadn't been anything worth worrying about for quite a way around him.

But then that had all changed. Rounding a corner by a tree, he had halted immediately. At first he had been more inclined to believe he had encountered an extra terrestrial, because of the way that vicious looking reptile stood on its hind legs, and from the way it had looked at him in equal surprise, he had actually reckoned it more likely that he was meeting an intelligent being, and not some prehistoric monster from a time when the world hadn't even resembled the world. He knew about the Triassic period, the time period in which this thing was supposed to have existed, and only existed, in. All this, along with that frightening shriek which yelled out again, freaked him out more so than it might have done had it been say a Velociraptor chasing him. A raptor had lived in a recognisable world. Sure, the continents had all been different to the modern planet, and it had been covered in unfamiliar vegetation, and harboured a host of equally unfamiliar life-forms, but it would have been recognisable nonetheless. This Triassic beast in pursuit was almost an alien from another planet, on the other side of the galaxy, or even the universe. It was difficult to imagine the Earth that it would have lived on. All this made Steve's legs pump harder, despite pain and a general difficulty to keep up with the pace of his own mind, which frantically looked for ways out of this horrific situation.

Sprinting across uneven ground was almost as horrible as being chased. Steve was all too well aware that if he miscalculated, he might end up painfully sprawling to the ground. If that happened, he was also well aware that that would be it. If he fell now, he would never get back up. He fell. It had been horrendous just to think about it, let alone allow it to happen. Scraping into the ground, his knees folded beneath him, his arms darted forward reflexively. But, he managed to pick himself up again. And, with another shot of adrenaline, shot away once more. Perhaps he may have survived that stumble, but he was pretty sure that next time he wouldn't be fortunate.

Going on forever, he knew, was just not feasible. Because of this, despair now started to course through him. He didn't want to die, yet had come to expect that that was probably what was going to happen. In a sense, he had now practically come to accept it. All he had to do was stop running.

Still, horrific thoughts rushed through his mind's eye. He could practically feel the burning sensations that claws and teeth would create upon ripping into his flesh. Rather than slowing down, he maintained his speed, and braced himself for that ghastly moment. When he went down, he would go down fighting.

Barely moments later, Steve emerged into a clearing. What he now saw before him made him want to run even faster. That unmistakable building shape lay just ahead, an old asphalt track with an electric rail running down the middle snaked past the entrance. He knew exactly what that was, he'd seen it before on the early marketing that had been released for the original park. Those front doors remained closed, but they appeared to still be serviceable. If he could just reach there before the ravenous creature on his heels…

Another shriek, this time a lot closer, alerted him to the beast which had managed to close the distance between him and it quite considerably. Bursts of adrenaline propelled him to that door. He rocketed up the flight of steps that were positioned just before. In seconds he was there.

Heart racing, he slid behind the heavy partition, and into the building interior. Before the terrorising Herrarasaur could reach him, he was safe. Slamming the door, a muffled screech yelped out, the creature angry that its meal had gotten away.

He'd managed it; he'd managed to escape, again. Perhaps he was to live after all. He laughed to himself. I've done it, he thought, I've lived to tell the tale, and if I can find a means of escape via this building I will be going home after all. A bubbling hiss disturbed his thinking at that moment.

Turning slowly, he came to face the contents of the room. Two enormous skeletons lay in ruins at the centre, discarded for years. But he never quite managed to survey much else. What stood in front of him made his heart sink. I no longer have to worry, was all he thought, grimly.

For the first time, his eyes managed to get a good look at what had been his pursuers. Though bipedal, like a Raptor, it didn't look the same. The snout was chunkier, and more reminiscent to that of a larger theropod such as an Allosaur or a T-Rex. As it parted its mandibles, it bared rows of serrated and very curved teeth. To stop prey from getting away, Steve thought. Once it bit, there would be no escape. The claws, with much less emphasis, would also be able to do a lot of damage. That mouth though, was the primary tool he imagined in being his end.

As it took a step toward him, he decided that his end would be a painful and messy one. It was. He screamed at the same time as the creature shrieked its triumphant roar. Flailing his arms up instinctively, those claws clutched into his torso, and those jaws around his shoulder. Steve was dragged away at that moment, still yelling out, the strong beast yanking him down a corridor. Another Herrasaur appeared at that moment, and the last thing Steve would ever see was that gaping maw coming at him, a flash of razors surrounding a dark hole slamming down upon his face.

For minutes the two creatures fought over his now macerated body. What had been Steve's face hung off his head like a badly worn mask, as the rest of him was tugged about by both lizards, hissing and snapping at each other. Eventually the beast that had initiated the killing won, and enjoyed its feast, while the second, unaware of its role in putting the "prey" out of its misery, stalked off, in search of an easier meal.


	17. Revelation

It had been hours since Jim and Boris had been dragged out of the dingy cell, their new home for now, that they all currently shared. It wasn't really a cell, more one of the many spare cabins within the belly of the great ship, devoid of any comfort, and generously laced with darkness.

That was, until, the creaking groan of the heavy door allowed the dimly lit lighting from the corridors outside to flood in, momentarily revealing the contents to David, who well aware of being part of those contents. Karen was sat alone in the corner, staring into nothingness, or space. When the door was closed, it was dark enough to be space. In his arms, Jo's form clutched him, giving him the only comfort he could obtain at that moment. She was warm again now and no longer cold from her time spent in the ocean. How he wished they were all still in the ocean, and not here.

Squinting, a silhouette, partially slumped, appeared at the opening, flanked by a couple of larger and wider silhouettes. It seemed like the sun had exploded from behind, and David's pupils constricted tightly and almost painfully. The shape was then flung forward, and landed amongst them with a heavy sigh. The light was killed moments later, a tremendous and final clang proclaiming the closure of the room from the rest of the world.

"Jim", David placed a hand on his fallen friend, giving a gentle shake, "Are you all right, mate? Oh Shit, I know how stupid that sounds. What they do to you?"

He felt wetness on Jim's skin. In the pitch black they had once again been plunged into, that wetness could have been a lot of things. Lifting his fingers to his nose, he sniffed. Iron, he thought, it smells of iron; blood.

Groaning, and with help from the group, except Karen who lay motionless, Jim was weakly pulled up and placed against the steel wall. He gasped at the sudden icy touch, but muttered his thanks and sat still.

"You know what these bastards want?" he spoke softly, his voice faltering, "You know what they intend to do? And to us?"

He passed out seconds later, leaving the rest of them with a question unanswered. It wasn't as if the answer was hard to guess. Or was it? That bothered David. Hopefully he would discover the real truth behind Jim's statement later. He sure didn't want to go find out himself, from his captors. All he could do now was wait, with his love, and his friends, suspended in a void.

Karen continued to sit, staring at the other wall, which she was unable to even see. Her mind focused on Boris. She hated it.

* * *

The powerful hand came down upon him once more, striking him across the face. He wished so much to fight back, and to prevent that weapon from bearing upon his again. With his hands tied though, that was going to be difficult. To punctuate his hopeless situation, the hand struck again. Blood smattered across his face, he looked up at his subjugator with hatred.

"Answer, you fucking dog", the man yelled. He was on the verge of being outraged, his face flushed with anger, and his veins pulsing in his head. Such was the effect of Boris and his ability to resist such chastisement.

"Sit on it and rotate", he replied, through weary, battered breath, and unable to emphasise with his middle finger due to being restrained. He received another strike for that.

All Boris could see in the room was that man, dressed in attire which made him resemble someone he may have expected to find in a KGB institution. Everything else was just darkness, and the lighting required to make the interrogator stand out. The guy certainly looked like an interrogator. Boris thought about this ironically. He had seen a couple of poor souls, back in the Eighties when he had been working for the Soviet Government, get dragged in for one of those interrogations. At the time he had reckoned them deserving of such punishment. He had never thought he would end up on the receiving end of such horrors. Grimly, he noted they had never come out again.

The strikes kept coming, salvo after salvo of blows, intent on making Boris break. He would not yield though. He would not yield.

A heavy sigh answered his defiant silence. The foreboding silhouette turned away from him, hands clasped behind back, and looked off into the darkness. Had the conditions been slightly more accommodating, Boris may very well have sensed victory.

"You know", the man said, his voice heavy as that sigh, "The other man only got thrown back into his cell because he wasn't the one we wanted. We have no interest in the feats of some unknown hunter."

"You", the man spun quickly, finger pointed accusingly at the restrained Russian, "Are something else entirely."

"I know your past, Mr Ivanovitch", he continued, "And I know it well. I know you're an ex-Soviet spy, and I also know you're still a spy," that last part was laced with menace.

"So", he repeated his earlier question now, "Who are you working for? Who sent you? And what the fuck are you doing here?"

Boris kept his silence.

This time, however, he received no blow.

"If that little party you have back there is directly associated with you", Roland, suddenly aiming for Boris personal, rather than professional, Achilles heel, "I'll have them all killed; thrown to those beasts we have lurking down in the hold."

Boris flinched inside, and desperately hoped it hadn't been visible to his tormentor. He knew that Karen would be affected by that threat, as well as everyone else except him for that matter. But he had been trained by the Soviet secret services for years, and conditioned not to crack under such pressures. If Jim, David, or Jo were threatened, he would resist that unquestionably. Karen though? She was a different matter entirely. The human conscious could only take so much, and Boris had cared for that girl since the beginning. He was emotionally attached, and he admitted that to himself, despite the age difference. It was some predicament; it meant betraying one group of allies for the sake of another.

His silence continued to linger. The shape now leaned in to his face, revealing its own, a face of hatred. Roland glared at Boris. He knew what he would do next; and he knew it wouldn't be pleasant for either of them.

"You want to know what we're doing here?" he whispered through harsh speech, "And why we have all these dinosaurs, and more to the point, why we want them?"

"Although I suppose you already know", he added, "Don't you?"

Boris gazed back. He was actually trying to disengage himself from the immediate surrounding environment. He wasn't going to crack, he kept telling himself, and disengagement would help reduce the pain. It was a form of meditation, almost.

"Is that why you took it?" was the next unexpected question. This time Boris replied.

"Took what?" his voice monotones and blunt.

Now the blows resumed, a couple landing upon him in quick succession.

"The egg, you sneaky fuck", was Roland's response, "An egg went missing from our labs, and we found evidence of your being there soon after. No coincidence, I think, eh?"

Another blow, one straight into the solar plexus. Boris gasped with pain. He felt on the verge of passing out. In a way, he wished he would, since it would mean temporary escape from this nightmarish hell.

"I'm sure whoever your working for would love that egg as a trophy", snarled Roland, then laughed mockingly, "A shame you no longer have it."

That was true. Boris had taken an egg. He originally expected he had been saving the poor creature inside. Now it seemed doomed anyway. Last he ever saw of it was when he had left it on the boat. He assumed it had gone up with the explosions.

"You see", said Roland, and Boris now felt he was about to finally realise the truth, something he had failed to find out for himself earlier on, "There is a very good reason for having these creatures, and for continuing to breed them. It's quite simple really. Warfare."

The answer stunned Boris, though he wouldn't have said anything anyway.

"Imagine it", he said, slight excitement entering his voice, "Armies of Raptors, and Tyrannosaurs, and of course, the superbly aggressive Metriacanthosaurs, all rampaging through a trouble spot. No need for a bullet to be fired to suppress uprisings, just teeth and claws. Even those blasted little Compies would have their uses. Nothing would escape such a force."

"Madness", uttered Boris, unable to come up with anything else to say.

"It may sound like that at first", replied Roland, "But you haven't seen them in action. Ferocious beasts they are. And all will be genetically modified for the conditions they are to be used in. They'll be deployed in desert, snow and urban settlements. They'll change the face of biological warfare."

"Your crazy", murmured Boris, "It'll never work."

"Oh, it will", came the louder and adamant response, "They'll go hand in hand with psychological warfare; terrorism will take on a new meaning; and I will profit from it considerably." Greed, just another of humanity's traits, thought Boris.

Whoever Boris was working for would indeed find that piece of information valuable. The problem now, was how he would get it to them. This all depended on whether he managed to hold his tongue through pain and misery. It may not be the KGB he worked for anymore, but it was still an organisation whose secrets would be preferred to remain secret, and wouldn't care for it to be divulged to anyone for any reason. Miraculously having survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, the breakaway group Boris was a part of, assisted militarily by the Spetznatz, would intend to remain hidden from the rest of the world, and especially from this organisation who intended to develop horrific new weapons which were unlike anything humanity had ever seen before. Communism was no longer a goal for Russians; peace was. Peace through secrecy.

"So", said Roland, his voice now strangely soft, "Who are you working for?"

Perhaps he thought, now that he had told Boris the truth, that Boris would return the favour. He was quite wrong. That same silence rang out, almost painfully, for both men knew what would now follow.

Sighing again, and with sudden rapid movements, Roland lurched across the room, and yanking hard, dragged a trolley noisily towards the chair in which Boris was held. He knew too well what the numerous clattering of equipment rested on the top were, and had an intimate knowledge with the purpose of each sharp, pronged, blunt, possibly to be combined with heat/electricity/drugs, instrument, that shined grimly in what little dim light existed in the room.

Torture was another very human trait. It proved so efficient in the extraction of information, regardless of the suffering caused in order to get it. Efficiency was what Roland wanted.

* * *

Once more that dark void they were all forced to be suspended in gave way to a burst of penetrating light, as that heavy door was hauled back. Again, three silhouettes stood there, the middle one somewhat slumped and supported by the other two; much like the last time. Jim, still battered from his own encounter, knew exactly what the man had just been through, and would have been surprised had his posture been any other.

The shape was jettisoned into the room. Boris gasped in pain, as he landed hard on the cold steel deck. Karen was quick to rush to his aid, lovingly bearing his head and rested it upon her lap. She didn't keep it up for long though.

"Rest of you", snapped one of the tough shadows in harsh tones, "Out."

It was slightly confusing at first, but they soon got the message; though not quickly enough for the man's liking. A vice like grip yanked David onto his feet, and out into the corridor. It didn't prevent him from hitting the wall on the way out either, and he flew across and into it, banging his nose on the piping that crisscrossed through the passage like so many iron snakes.

The others followed, and the room emptied, as if it had contained liquid. They were forced into a line of single file, Karen, at the back, having come out last. The last thing she could hear was Boris.

"I'm sorry", he gasped, and coughed, "There was no other way. I'm so sorry."

He passed out soon enough, and Karen, and the rest, held by the two unknown figures, and too weak to fight their way out of the situation, were forced down the walkway, without so much as a good bye.


	18. Retribution

It was not before long that Boris departed the relative comfort of his cell. Perhaps a mere half hour or so had passed, before his limp form was dragged along through the passageway, back to that room he had spent what had seemed a life-time, enduring the un-pleasantries of various torture methods. Evidently, he had been expected to recover quickly enough for the interrogator to start grilling him again. Perhaps, he being an ex-KGB agent, there was a bare trace of logic to that. But then, perhaps they weren't too bothered either way, and merely wanted to make his remaining time on earth as painful as possible. He was sure that if they kept it up at this rate he would be dead before he told them anything they wanted to hear. That thought startled a laugh out of him. Yes; he would do just that.

He thought it would be better to do so. He'd had to sell his friends dearly to prevent his secrets from becoming known. He had known they were all as good as dead, yet he felt personally responsible for his friends being marched away to their dooms like that. He imagined them being dead now anyway. No, all he could do now was to hold out for as long as possible. Sooner or later, he too would join them. And he intended to join them without having made their demises in vain. He only hoped in death he could be forgiven for signing their execution warrants.

He laughed a little again, though it didn't come easy through a battered chest cavity. Back when he was under command of the Soviets, any spiritual or religious concept, including life after death, would have been preposterous nonsense dreamt up by power hungry fanatics to maintain some order and a concept heavily evident throughout the course of human history. He'd always been taught that religion was a constraint, and had been practically forbidden to believe in any aspect it. Now, though, his past lessons were apparently overridden, and he obtained solace from the fact that death wasn't quite the end. It couldn't be. He felt it impossible for everything to just stop, just like that. It was too simple, and life was far from simple. Another reason for his new adoption in beliefs; he simply didn't want to think any other way, for that was horrific pessimism, and something he could do without for the moment.

As he sat, bound once more in that chair, his thoughts turned to Karen. A belief; a faith; it kept her close to him, living or dead. He was quite certain she was dead. He tried to remember her as happy, though under the circumstances that was unfeasible. In fact, he ended up torturing himself. As if the interrogator hasn't given me enough of that already, he thought bitterly. But it was sadly true to him. All he could picture in his mind's eye was Karen, and the rest of the group, dieing, and in great pain, cursing him, and cursing his name, as their screams faded and gave out to a dreadful and everlasting final silence.

"So, once again you sit in this chair", the very obvious statement emitted from the lips of a different man this time, though one just as nasty as the previous individual. No, come to think of it, this one wasn't so vulgar in his style. He actually resembled a business man under whatever light there was to be had, and one who appeared incapable of killing anything but a business deal. It would have come as a surprise to anyone, straight to the core, and that included a hardened veteran like Boris, to learn that Stan was the man behind this network of terror.

"Are you going to tell me what I'd like to hear this time?" the expected question returned, yet had no special flavour in it to make Boris utter the desired response. The actual reply was silence, and one certainly not desired by the new interrogator. And, it was as loathed now as it had been the first time round.

"What have you got to loose?" tension was highly evident in Stan's voice, as he tried to find the correct gate to the correct path that would result into breaking Boris.

"They're all dead now you realise", he continued, in a tone that indicated stress, "But you won't follow them that easy. You can stop all this. We'll just keep you alive until we get our answer, and that could be a very long time. If you give it to us now though, you'll join your comrades, and will no longer have to suffer."

That statement would have been very unreasonable to an average person. It meant death either way, and something the average person would certainly not want. The fact that sooner was in preference to later would have made it sound even more unreasonable. But, and Boris now realised, these people had been able to interpret his, as an individual's, psychology with frightening accuracy. They knew it pained him to live with his betrayal; sentencing his own comrades to their deaths all because he failed to say a few words.

It was almost beginning to get to him. No! He must stay focused, and keep his tongue till well after his death. If, of course, he was allowed to die.

"Okay", sighed Stan, not at all dissimilar to the way in which Roland uttered those particular words in the first encounter, "We'll just have to do this the old fashioned way."

He walked slowly and calmly to the trolley across the room, his footsteps echoing loudly and ominously. He returned with that noisy tray, pushing it across the floor towards the chair. To Boris, it glided as if possessed by some demented ghoul. Of course, it was littered with all those nasty things atop it, and Stan presented it to the captivated man. Most notably, there was a metallic box, with leads and clips attached to it. It resembled a car battery. Boris gulped. It was a car battery.

It was Stan who was laughing now, as he went about setting this particularly malicious device up to do its work. Boris knew exactly what that type of work would be, and, more grimly, where it would be applied.

"Was it the CIA or the KGB that used to do this?" was the ironic question from Stan, and probably rhetorical too, since it wouldn't make much difference what the answer was.

Touching the two crocodile clips together, a spark struck off, demonstrating to Boris exactly what type of pain he was in for. The application of a car battery to genitalia had been used in the past, particularly in Vietnam, yet Boris was far removed from reciting history lessons now.

"One more chance maybe?" mocked Stan, "Who do you work for?"

Despite a tremendous amount of fear, and despite every reasonable brain cell in his head screaming at him to tell his tormentor what he wanted, Boris kept his silence. The emotions accompanying defiance did little to please his soul, especially with what he had just gone and let himself in for, but it had a minimal soothing effect. Another violent spark quickly made him forget that though.

"Very well", said Stan, and he moved in, both clips parted like jaws and jaws much worse than those of any Raptor.

* * *

A ship could only be so big, yet this fact didn't hold obvious to any of them, who were exhausted by the time they reached their destination. It was definitely a hefty vessel, an old cargo freighter with an immense tonnage. It seemed bigger than one might be able to comprehend after that apparently long walk. Miles and miles it could have been, yet, thought Karen, that could not logically be so. In fact, none of the group would have been able to take a good guess at the correct size of the ship; they were far too exhausted to have been able to manage that. It mattered little to them anyway. 

It wasn't a particularly cluttered deck, and she could see two helicopters, one recognised as the pocket gunship that had attacked earlier, resting at one end of the ship. The other looked to be less threatening, a civilian model, and one probably used to ferry people between the freighter and the main land; and probably an executive toy as well. Evidently the owners were trusting that the Pacific weather would stay pleasant. It would be expensive if damage came to the valuable machine, though such thoughts were very brief in Karen's mind. She was much more fixated on what she would be experiencing minutes from now. Understandable.

One of the most prominent features though, was a crane arm that projected nearby. It rose above their heads vertically, not too large, and branched out overhead, a heavy winch and hook hanging off the arm. Karen wondered momentarily why it would have been placed there in the first place. Perhaps after a few seconds reasoning, she might have figured its use as for lifting cargo from a hold. She didn't have that sort of time to ponder.

Aching as the rest of the group did, there was slight feelings of relief when they were brought to a halt. It was very slight however. Before them all, a number of grooves ran along the floor. At first, the presences was somewhat puzzling, but this soon dissipated when one of their guards approached a red button, attached to a console jutting a few feet above the deck, and activated it. The ground beneath them gave way, creating a wide chasm, into a dark pit. In Karen, and surely in the others as well, it inspired notions of Hell's mouth.

Sounds that were not of this earth emitted from that sinister hole in the deck. She knew it was an execution, and a barbaric one at that.

Standing proudly by such an abomination was Sarah and Roland; the red-haired girl practically clung to her lover and was blatantly not shy of revealing her caring side for such monsters. It was difficult to believe that such a sadistic creation could care about anything. Karen knew what to do the first chance she got; she would grab that girl and pull them both down to their deaths. It was just a matter of timing. Roland began to proclaim to them all. That time would obviously have to wait.

"So we come to an end of your little adventure", he beamed at them. They all stared back at him in disgust. Roland was far from being the traditional style executioner.

"You should be honoured to be going out this way", he tried explaining to them, though they were far removed from accepting such words, "It will be in aid of science and industry, as well as the finest weaponry the world has ever known."

Roland spoke of those creatures held in the darkness below them as if they were machines. It was puzzling to them. But disturbing more so. David sensed that they weren't going to be getting the full explanation though.

"Turn the lighting on, will you dear", Roland told his lover, who strolled across to the control panel a few moments later. All of a sudden the pitch black below them was illuminated with a dim artificial radiance, which lit up the interior only partially. Snarls sounded out again, rasping snarls with a very definite savageness. This time however, they were accompanied with menacing silhouettes, which stalked around only metres below, like sharks awaiting a condemned mutineer.

"Well", said Roland, "We haven't got all day I'm afraid." He gestured toward the orange evening sky.

"Farewell", he said, "Under different circumstances we may have been allies, rather than enemies."

"Put them in", he gestured to the guards.

* * *

The past few minutes could very well have qualified for the worst in his entire life. Those clips had yet to bite into his flesh with their stinging jaws, but every-time they approached they were withdrawn again by the sadistic man who controlled them. Psychological torture had its effects just as much as physical torture, maybe even more so, for you still felt you could do anything to escape what might happen to you if it was still merely a threat. If it had happened to you, then you had nothing to lose anymore, and would have to endure it the best you could. Boris didn't want to think about those clips being attached to him, yet his mind wouldn't allow it. It was almost as if it were a separate operating entity. He knew it would happen sooner or later though. Interrogators didn't like being cheated out of their form of pleasure. 

"You know", spoke the vile Stan once again, and additional piece of dialogue for the grim small-talk he had kept up for those past minutes designed to mock Boris, "I don't know about you, but I'm having a great time." Boris could quite easily believe that. Stan was definitely a sick man.

"One thing I don't understand though", Stan obviously hadn't grown tired of talking yet, "Why do you fail to give yourself up now that your friends are dead? And that's everyone mind you, including that silly little bitch you were fond of so."

Behind his back, and out of sight, the muscle in Boris's arms tensed, almost to the point where it no longer felt like flesh, but like steel. They wished to throttle the man who was talking, to pulverise his trachea and crush his neck vertebrae. It was now that Boris realised something, a revelation that poured new energy into his systems. The binds restricting him weren't expertly bound at all. In fact, that anger that now surged through him offered a way of escaping and getting revenge on the organisation that had been responsible for so much. Slowly and surely, he ground his wrists against his bonds. In a matter of seconds he was gaining more and more slack. Stan didn't do himself any favours by progressing with his talking. And he especially didn't do himself any favours by continuing to spew about Karen. Yes, he was indeed a good reader of psychology. Too bad for him.

"I know you liked that girl particularly, any idiot could see that", flouted Stan, "That's why we had them all killed, with her going first if the orders were followed correctly. Perhaps if you had spoken up at the right time they may have been saved."

Rage boiled through Boris. His hands managed to clear the ropes now. They were free. Free to act out vengeance. It would come swiftly. Boris began to grin. He knew what he would do. He would show he could exert pain. It would be more satisfactory than carrying out his own execution on his own victim.

Stan obviously noticed it too, for he stopped momentarily. Those clips were still poised menacingly, but now they were static, and an expression worked its way onto Stan's face; one that wished he had attached those things a little earlier.

Swinging his right arm up and around, Boris grabbed for the nearest implement he could. And it just so happened that that implement was a rather sharp, and unclean, scalpel; a simple stabbing device. It would do.

Cleaving downward, the tool turned weapon penetrated Stan's hand, plunging through his palm and pinning him to the car battery with which he had planned on using for malicious torture. Yelping in pain, he struggled to release himself, as blood started to flow, and even worse, began to mingle with traces of battery acid. He knew that if he didn't escape soon, a second burning sensation would accompany the standard burn of pain; his nervous system screaming that it had been violated with lethal chemicals.

Boris used this window of time to escape. He managed to expertly scoop up another of the many unpleasant tools, this time a knife, and free himself properly. Cutting through the binds around his legs he would be able to dash off and exert revenge. But not before aiming a hard kick at his tormentor. This was more than enough force to free the now panic-stricken Stan, who stumbled backward, the violent liberation having ripped a nasty gash in his palm. Hitting the back of his skull against the wall, he was knocked out cold. For how long, Boris couldn't tell. He didn't care either. All he wanted to do was get out, and exert his revenge. No, not his revenge; his retribution.

* * *

It had demanded a lot of energy but Karen had just managed it. As the shove had erupted into the small of her back, pushing her out into the space over the opening, she had propelled herself across and into Sarah, before gravity won its inevitable victory, and they were both dragged down and into it. 

It had all happened so fast that no-one had really had any time to act. Both of them hit the deck hard. It had been almost a twenty foot drop after all, and it was a miracle that none of them broke anything upon that brief and abrupt journey to the bottom of the pit. It wouldn't have suited Karen though. Had Sarah broken her neck she would have been denied the pleasure of killing her.

They scuffled like two cats fighting in the night, clawing and biting at each other. Sarah was very much alive from her fall, and it seemed that the trip over the edge had hardly had any impact on her at all. Engaged in ferocity of epic proportions, the two girls battled, completely oblivious to the two beasts that had recently strode into the immediate surrounding area.

The other three who had been unlucky enough to become the areas most recent visitors, however, couldn't help but notice the two savage creations that had come to investigate the fresh arrivals. David pointed in horror, to emphasise the presence they had. Such emphasis wasn't needed. Jim was already backing away, as was Jo. No matter how much she was attached to David, a simple motive of survival had already initiated her withdrawal away from those fearsome beasts, while the man stood there, almost frozen to the spot. It took a lot, but David eventually managed to slowly follow the moves made by his friends, backing away.

Both Metriacanthosaurs stood like sentinels, one standing on the left, the other the right, making any attempt to exit their perimeter somewhat impossible. The only way was to back off, and that wasn't going to get anyone anywhere any fast. With the bulkheads being the only thing to back away against, the only feasible journey appeared to be that of down the throats of the approaching monsters.

Jaws parted, the two paced forward menacingly. Karen and Sarah kept fighting.

* * *

Slowly he came to and light once again returned to his world. A nasty gash now etched into his palm and his head, Stan dizzily got to his feet. He felt no pain. Rage coursed through him instead, and no matter how unsteady he was, he could remember exactly what had happened and how it had occurred. Damn, was all he could think, I should have been prepared for anything. 

Viciously he snatched at a holster fixed upon his thigh. There his fingers found the icy butt of a Colt 45, a weapon he had been conscious of carrying around all day, yet, had been reluctant to use in the interrogation. In actual fact, he had never imagined a need to use it so soon. Termination was its one sole purpose, despite the occasional whipping it might also have been handy for. As soon as Stan had heard all he wanted to hear, it would have delivered that final insurance that those said words would never be repeated by the same source to anyone. Now that particular "source" was loose aboard a ship containing something that that blasted source would inevitably try to destroy, much to Stan's disapproval. His pistol, which he had now cocked and held in a ready position, would be a slightly different type of insurance, yet insurance nevertheless. Setting off down the corridor to which Boris had started down in his bid for freedom, Stan ran. Every second counted. He knew exactly what Boris would be up to.

* * *

It was no trick question. Boris knew exactly what he was trying to do, and he knew his enemies knew the same. It only made him work faster though. He had always had to learn to work under pressure anyway, whether it came from a risk of verbal abuse or a bayonet in the back. 

Having made his way to the stern of the ship, Boris had stumbled across the most useful room to plot his final retribution; the engine room. At first his mind had been swamped by ideas of how to put the mechanisms and materials located within the power-plant of the vessel to good use. Eventually his mind had reasoned for the old fashioned ways as opposed to anything fancy. Something fancy may take time and careful planning, his mind pondered the issue. A show of brute force would be sufficient. Fuel; he would use the fuel. At first he wondered whether that might be a bad idea. It would most likely cost him his life. Then he remembered that the others were already dead and that this was his retribution, and further more, that he didn't mean to get out of this alive. It was a good enough idea alright; more than good enough.

Making his way slowly but surely around the room and through all its tight spaces where the busy machinery had its place, Boris found the fuel lines; thick rubber vines hanging at about head height. He was quick to sever them. And it was so easy. Just a simple slash into the piping, followed by a hard yank to rip a gash, and fuel gushed forth at an extremely high pressure.

Repeating it on at least five other tubes, the volatile liquid, stinking of fumes, poured out of the openings and pooled on to the floor. At once those fumes, intoxicating and noxious, rose to meet his lungs and he felt as if he would make it no further. Soon he knew he would succumb to fits of coughs and choke and drown in the ever deepening lake that would soon fill much of the room he intended to trigger the destruction. He had to get out, and soon. The heat, emanating from the machinery, only made him hurry up. Of course he remembered that his trip was a one-way trip, yet he still hurried up; he could imagine better ways to go than succumbing to a noxious sea.

Clambering back down, he couldn't avoid at least some immersion in the stuff, which by now had began to cascade out of the room and into the adjacent corridor. When it went up it would cause astronomical damage.

Just as he made it to the door, something shrieked at him. At first he merely thought it as one of the numerous working noises from within the mighty engines, perhaps even a piston straining after years of service; it sounded out of place though. It just didn't sound right enough to be mechanical. It sounded…natural.

Turning his head, he just looked round in time to see the new shape spring from near the ceiling onto one of the enormous engine housings. No, he thought, not now, it just isn't possible. But it was. He knew it was too, he had merely wished it not to be. A Velociraptor, judging from its stance, very aggressive, hissed angrily at him, its clawed forearms held out in threatening display, and its tail rigidly stuck out behind it, as it prepared to leap once more. How it got there, Boris didn't know. He didn't particularly care either. He just wanted to get out of its way. One-way trip or not, he could still think of plenty of better ways to go out, which excluded choking in fumes and being disembowelled, ripped to shreds and being eaten alive.

The raptor leapt at that moment. Boris moved on forward, exiting the room. He actually stumbled and made an almighty splash, spattering a potentially explosive cocktail about the place. His mind didn't leave the prospect of detonation. That fuel had been leaking for at least half a minute. He imagined the heat from the machinery, as the volatile substance soaked back into the components of the power-plant, would ignite it in less than two minutes. He wanted to at least die relatively clear of the source of destruction; not at its heart like some idiot.

With such motives biting at his arse, he quickly picked himself up and sped down the corridor, pushing off on the leg he felt was strongest at that moment, and therefore the more efficient of the two limbs. A small factor like that could have a big change on the fate of a situation. The furious bipedal lizard gave immediate chase, clacking those dreadful razor sickles attached to each middle toe in a foreboding way before charging after the human.

Boris knew he couldn't outrun it. That didn't mean, however, that he would give the task in question a go. It was at this moment that a new and yet another danger made itself present. Stan came into view, a pistol poised in his hand. He yelled something, but in all the adrenal rush Boris was unable to make sense of it. He accepted it as a curse on his behalf in any case.

The heavy thud of a Colt's shot roared at him, and he heard the air rip a mere inch from his ear. He ran even faster. Perhaps a bullet would be relatively clean and quick, but he still wasn't far enough away. And anyway, he had grown too excited to give up. Stupid bastard missed, laughed the back of his mind. His heart pumped faster and faster, his senses heightened to a breaking point, giving him the strength he needed to escape, while at the same time keeping his body tensed for what seemed to be the inevitable.

The walk-way was a gauntlet. Each opening, a hatchway, kept flashing past him, yet he could never seem to recognise an end to the tunnel he made his rapid journey through. He could run forever, and never escape. Or that's how he felt anyway. It was like one of those nightmares; an inescapable situation. He really wanted to look behind him, to see how far away from death he really was. Had he done so, he would have seen something that might have slowed his tracks. He didn't, and so he kept moving quickly.

Quite a way behind now, the raptor and Stan stared at each other eye to eye. The human kept his pistol held high, and aimed at the carnivore's skull, while the creature held itself poised ready to deliver a final killing blow. It was a classic stand-off, only to be witnessed by the victor and the loser.

Threatening hisses and pops and purrs emitted from the raptor's throat, and it bared its razor-sharp jaws in intimidation. Both beings knew they had the ability to destroy the other. It was just a matter of when and who. Stan hadn't reckoned on such a circumstance coming up. Now he was dealing with his own work.

The raptor, confident it would be victorious, and having harnessed a paralysing fear in its prey, suddenly turned and streaked off down the corridor in Boris's direction. Evidently its current occupation was simply not worth the time or effort. Had Stan known the full story behind the creature's motives, he may not have felt so offended. Bewildered and elevated by this turn of events, he was immediately enveloped in a sudden burst of relief, as well as a slight feeling of regret that he apparently had lacked the worthiness of a true opponent. He fired triumphantly at the fleeing creature in any case. It was the last thing he ever did.

Boris was thrown, no, ejected, as he came upon the flight of stairs. Such force pushed him up through that opening and out into the air, almost like a missile departing its silo. Fortunately there wasn't enough velocity to cause him to clear the ship totally, and he landed in a heap on the deck, rather than in the ocean where he would surely have been forgotten and perished. For this reason he didn't complain about the blunt pain of impact.

Tremendous creaks roared out as an almighty explosion tore out the vital systems of the ship, pulverising what had once been the engine room, and leaving the vessel practically dead in the water. Its only propulsion now would be the currents. Fate would take it to its final destination, but a power-plant would definitely not.

Having been in a stand off with a Velociraptor, Stan had failed to notice that he had also been in an area thickly surrounded by fumes, and therefore an extremely dangerous environment. Upon firing the Colt as a mark of his "victory", if nothing else, he had signed his own death warrant. The spark caused as firing pin struck cordite had been sufficient to spark off the chain of events Boris had initiated. He had been engulfed in a curtain of scorching heat and flames immediately, incinerating him beyond recognition within seconds. It would have been quick and relatively painless; something undeserving for such a murderer.

Getting to his feet, Boris realised he had landed near to the bow of the ship. Ahead of him, a stooped figure gesticulated at the edge of an enormous pit. Boris recognised him instantly. Forgetting everything else, he sprinted toward that man.

* * *

As the flames cleared he could see that the roasted human had been blown down the corridor, and therefore out of the burning arena of death, and away from the newly created jagged structures, comprised of razor sharp edges and demented shapes. 

That deceased body was nothing special, but it would be sustenance. Biting into the blackened and crispy flesh, the taste was different to how he would have recognised it. This meal was cooked after all. He would always prefer a raw, preferably living dish, but it would do; it would do.

After this, he thought, he would pursue the human he wanted so desperately to get at. That one he had seen moments earlier, to which he had originally given chase, had definitely been recognisable as an accomplice of the other; a friend no doubt. He had wondered if pursuit might lead him to his objective. But distraction had got in the way. It had resulted in a treat as well. Savouring the flesh, the Raptor continued to eat, undisturbed by the heated chaos around.


	19. Immolation

The man was taken by complete surprise as Boris landed a heavy fist across his face; a visage of which bore features he had wanted to smash in ever since he had been acquainted with the owner. Having been subjected to brutal methods of interrogation by said individual fuelled this desire even more, and it was not long before blood began to flow. With the surprised enemy knocked to the floor, Boris felt he could strike and strike until his opponent was dead. He had the ability; and there was nothing to stop him. He'd probably do just that.

Barks sounded out from nearby. Amidst an adrenaline pumped ballet, he noticed the arrival of three of the guards, cronies to the being he was engaged in combat with. More pistol rounds flared from the small but lethal weapons in there hands, spitting flashes of flame. Smacking of bullets cracked out all around the deck. Fortunately these guards were full of too excitement, putting off their aim.

It was based on instinct more than anything else, but Boris did exactly what he needed to survive. His adversary, wearing a holster, indication that he was armed, provided a means with which to fight back at this new threat. Tugging the firearm out, he rolled into a better position, lying prone so as to gain the best possible accuracy. Quickly aiming it to face the danger, he snapped off shot after shot. Within four squeezes of the trigger, the threat had been quelled; now nothing but heaps lay on the deck, blood pouring from a forehead or neck. It was safe to say his marksmanship, learned from his days as an agent, had once again saved his own neck. All bullets had hit home; one of his assailants having had to require a couple to finally silence him.

Peering back to what he had been doing previously, he noticed the absence of a particular figure. The man known as Roland had evidently run for it. With no-one shooting at him anymore, Boris raced off to find him and deal with him. Below, he was aware of the fierce sounds raging, indicating that the worst had happened, yet he never actually gazed into the depths of the hull. Had he done so, he may have found himself a little preoccupied to hunt down the man.

* * *

Still raging away amidst the only rays of light to flood into the bay, and illuminated in a spot-light effect, Karen and Sarah had their hands wrapped around each others throats, mutually choking the life out of each other. It turned out that both were of similar strength, and so the death-lock continued, both individuals being unable to muster enough strength to deliver a fatal crushing blow down onto the others trachea. It would be a long duel. A few metres away an 8 metre long monster witnessed the fight. The Metriacanthosaur snapped impatiently at them, then backed away, then snapped once more, and continued in such fashion, like a curious dog investigating a bee emerging from the ground after hibernation. The vicious display between the two small creatures it had so hoped to eat had it totally bewildered.

Meanwhile, the other giant lizard stalked through the cargo bay in search of its own prey. Despite being able to easily outrun a person, Jim, David and Jo had been able to gain a head start by surprising the beast. It probably hadn't thought, with its previous meals having been dead or tied down, that such fast food existed. Within moments the terrified humans had managed to clamber up onto one of the many large piles of crates in this death arena. So far, they had managed to escape detection.

* * *

Another 9mm lump of lead zoomed past, almost skimming Boris's skull. Even a nick from such a projectile could be deadly, and so he ducked before wheeling about to locate the source of the danger. Loosing off another round his attacker fell, though only injured, with the bullet having lodged itself just beneath his kneecap. It hadn't been a perfect shot as Boris had hoped for, but it would do. Needless to say, it had definitely put that man out of the fight.

Still, he was fired at yet again. Turning, he could see Roland standing near the bow of the ship. Behind him were two very recognisable shapes; a pair of helicopters, one the bulbous but lethal Little Bird that had pulverised their hovercrafts earlier on, the other a larger and sleeker Bell 206 Longranger, the perfect vehicle for a rapid journey back to distant civilisation. Putting two and two together took a matter of seconds. Boris knew what the man was up to all right, and he couldn't allow it to happen.

Quickly, the fleeing man scooted round the back of the Longranger, as Boris fired off a few shots. He stopped after three. He only had the one clip after all and couldn't afford to waste ammunition. And anyway, at the range he was, he would be lucky to score a vital hit on either of the flying machines to prevent them from flying. For the moment, Roland had himself a rather extravagant and expensive, yet thoroughly effective shield.

* * *

With an almighty raucous bellow, the creature lumbered forward into the fray with them. Had Karen been too preoccupied to notice, she would have been trampled to death instantly, along with Sarah. As fate would have it, the beast had announced its intentions all too clearly, and both scattered at the oncoming menace. The death grapple she had been a part of broke off and she flung herself hard to one side as a wall of scaly flesh thundered past like a freight train, only stopping when it crashed into a nearby pile of crating. An assortment of things poured from the industrial boxes. One had evidently been a weapons cache, since a mound of black metal forms; pistols, now resided on the deck. But, curiously, Karen couldn't help but notice the presence of another item that had been released after the impact. A selection of vials and syringes; each containing an unpleasant looking serum of a translucent light green colour, almost like washing up liquid, though Karen reckoned it might do anything but keep your hands soft. As it had been located next to a box of guns, she decided on it being an insidious chemical weapon. An asset at this time, she noted to herself.

A hard impact at her knees caused her to buckle, and she fell back down. Obviously Sarah still chose to ignore the Metriacanthosaur threat, and wanted to continue their struggle regardless of the presence of a large animal, which was desperately trying to eat them at the same time. Kicking out, Karen managed to score a hit across her assailant's face, and then another right on Sarah's nose. Blood poured from the area she struck at, be the girl kept on coming; intent heavily evident in her eyes, like a raptor bearing down onto the kill.

Shrieking a rattling cough of irritation, the dinosaur turned back towards them. This time it would surely capture them. Pounding its feet, it stampeded again, its jaws opened up like a net, as if intended to scoop them up in its maw. With death so close, this finally managed to distract Sarah, who made to get out of the way. She managed, but by the skin of her teeth. Karen however, was not so lucky, with that powerful head butting into her torso and causing her to fly some metres. She landed in a heap, barely conscious. Had the Metriacanthosaur noticed, she would never have recovered. The Metriacanthosaur though, was more interested in Sarah.

Cursing somewhat, the evil redhead ran for it. Since she had been a part of bringing this beast, like so many others to life, she felt it most unfair for it to be the one responsible for her demise.

"I made you", she hissed at her threat, which of course was reluctant to listen.

Dodging through the masses of crates, which were situated into an almost labyrinthine maze, she tried to shake the pursuit. Then, after what seemed to have been success, she found herself straight in the path of the other one; the other creature; the other monster. Having failed to find its earlier prey, the beast was all too happy that food had eventually found it. Rumbling in anticipation, it paced towards her.

* * *

From atop their makeshift fortress, Jim spotted Sarah halt in her tracks. Cornered by two Metriacanthosaurs, she cursed again, this time even louder. It was a universal cry of distress.

"Shit!" in a voice laden with panic.

It was from a distance of perhaps twenty metres, but for the first time ever, Jim could recognise genuine fear overcoming his enemy, and gripping her terrified frame like vines and creepers. It generated compassion in him despite what she'd done. He felt he had to do something. It was his duty as a human being.

Without thought, he leapt clear of his protection, and onto the deck. His feet impacted onto the metal floor loudly. He'd hoped that might be enough to draw the creatures away from Sarah, giving her the opportunity to escape, while at the same time, giving him an equal opportunity of shimmying back up to the safety of the crating. It hadn't been enough to distract the beasts unfortunately. He hoped running at them would.

"Hey!" he yelled at them, feeling stupid at the same time. One did turn, and it hissed disapprovingly at him, but otherwise kept its attention focused on its current quarry.

Again, without thinking, Jim looked around for something to throw at the creatures. In the end he failed to search out anything useful, and so turned to improvisation. Yanking one of the boots off his feet, he chucked the item of footwear at the rear-side of one of the lizards. It bounced off, and had no effect.

Sarah was now backed against the wall. As far as she was concerned her number was up. Meanwhile, David and Jo tried desperately to coax Jim back to relative safety. They saw no sense for him to be risking his neck to safe one monster from another two.

"Get out of there", yelled David, hardly able to believe the reckless act of his friend. Clambering down, he rushed to assist. He felt it his duty to assist his friend. Jo followed suit. She felt it her duty to her love.

* * *

That's right you bunch of fools, the malicious thoughts echoed through Sarah's mind. She had not intended to get into this mess, but she hadn't been unprepared for any eventuality either. At first perhaps being cornered by a pair of rampaging prehistoric carnivores had made her feel queasy from fear; yes, fear, after all she was only human. Feeling her back pocket, she withdrew a small metal device; a grenade. It wasn't just any grenade either. Contained within its cylindrical casing, a tiny charge waited to blast the rest of its contents out over a five-metre radius.

Hurling it at them, the gadget skidded along the deck and landed at Jim's feet. The noise of detonation startled them all. Barrages of confused looks were thrown in Sarah's direction, which were bewildered at her rejection of help from such a terrible situation. Had she known they were trying to help? Why would she do such a heartless thing as to attack the very people who were trying to save her? Jim felt foolish. He should have known better. Some people were just like that.

Now the two Metriacanthosaurs turned their attention to the commotion coming from behind them; from the direction of which a shoe had launched its single solitary assault. Making their way towards the gathering, who were totally unaware of the specific purpose of the explosive that had just been used against them, Sarah used her well calculated diversion to make her getaway. The specially designed 'lure' grenade had worked alright, and quite rightly so. It had contained a generous dosage of "dino bait" after all, a specially designed serum to attract carnivores to where they were wanted, or more accurately, needed, whether it be a cage or an arena of death.

She was in the clear now.

Running back through the maze of crates she was unaware of Karen, who lay in wait, her own device poised for action.

* * *

"Stay away now, you hear!" a panic-stricken Roland leapt out from behind the Longranger, Kalashnikov gripped uneasily in his overexcited hands. With his refined reflexes Boris managed to duck just before a hail of rapid fire lead passed by overhead. He smiled. Evidently his skills had brought about fear in his opponent, giving him the upper hand. All he had to do was exploit it.

He knew he'd have to get in close. The pistol would be useless soon. It had only the one clip, which was almost empty. Gritting his teeth, Boris decided he would have to act sooner or later. Briefly emerging from cover, he sprinted across to the next area that he could keep out of range in, but which was also nearer to the assault rifle toting maniac. Biting bullets followed him closely behind, but, Roland had fortunately failed to compensate for the deflection, making them wasted shots. The rounds he fired off harmlessly missed, albeit not by very much.

Before ducking into cover, Boris did loose off another shot. He thought he could spare it, since he knew it wasn't the last one, though it was very possible it was the second to last. It did its intended job well, punching a hole into the fuselage of the helicopter right beside Roland's head, causing the man to flinch, and become even jumpier than before. His sudden adoption of an emphatically stooped posture accentuated cowering. It was evidently too much for him. Keeping his rifle aimed at Boris's position, he pulled open the side door to the vehicle and slithered inside. As soon as he was unable to aim the gun properly Boris decided to act once more, and the final act to this desperate melee.

"No you don't", he shouted, as the whine of rotor blades announced the coming to life of the flying machine. Approaching the aircraft, he yanked open the door and pointed the pistol inside. Roland yelped, and dashed out the other door, sprawling back onto the deck.

As Roland rushed round the back of one flank of the fuselage, Boris followed his progress along the other, until they came to the tail. Being a relatively thin structure compared to the rest of the aircraft's mass, there was nowhere really to hide, and Roland suddenly saw that there was no escape. His only option now would be to try and bargain, like the coward he was. He had tossed his AK-47 to one side as he had exited the vehicle, evidently having had wasted the ammo, and was now armless. Roland looked ridiculous in the getup he was wearing. Once that uniform would have invoked fear in many men; but now, it invoked humour.

"Give up", Boris yelled over the din of the thundering rotors, "There's nowhere to run now. Your boss is dead, and I don't see anyone else up here but you and me. I'm the one with the gun, so I think it would be best if I am the one who decides what's going to happen."

Anger raged through him. Everyone but he and this sniffling bastard was dead. His finger tightened against the trigger. He could change that statistic. It would be easy.

With his hands up Roland started negotiating.

"They're not dead", he shouted back through the noise, his voice having shot that particular comment off as quickly as his voice box would allow. It seemed a little unlikely and not the wisest choice of words but he could think of nothing else. He didn't want to trade an erroneous verbal exchange with a bullet.

"They're not dead", he repeated, "They're still alive."

"Where are they?" shouted Boris, surprised at this turn of events.

"Down below", was the answer, "In the cargo hold. If you hurry…"

Shifting his gaze to that great open hole in the floor, Boris made a very big mistake. He let his guard down. Roland took his chance. Aiming to wrench that firearm out of his captor's grasp, he ducked beneath the tail and lunged forward. He too made a couple of mistakes as well though. Firstly, he underestimated who he was dealing with.

Quickly recovering from being caught off-guard, Boris intercepted his attacker, as malignant fingers wrapped round the butt of the weapon. With both hands locked in fighting off the foe, it seemed a desperate struggle. Boris used his legs to get out of it, kneeing Roland's gut hard, and causing him to stumble back. It was here that his second error made itself known.

In many fights perhaps being kneed in the gut wouldn't be enough to end it. This time however, it was more than enough. Falling back, Roland was removed from the conflict, and never to return to it again. As the tail rotor thundered, the spinning blades connected with his face. A lumpy red mist erupted and spattered over Boris's front. He was quite repulsed. He had seen the man's face get sliced off quite graphically, as well as watched it sail off and into the sea; or half of his face anyway. As Roland revealed that he was still alive, he spun around to face Boris, terrified and in anguished pain. Grimacing at the spectacular mess before him, and repelled by the grotesque screams coming from that red gash which had replaced Roland's mouth, Boris raised the pistol, an act of mercy now in mind. Roland wouldn't have wanted to continue with the state he was in anyway, what with most of his jaw gone, and an untidy red hole where his left eye had been. Those blades had actually meant to do for him; it had been a grim twist of fate which kept him alive.

Expecting the firearm to buck and end these circumstances, Boris sighed upon hearing the tell-tale click that no more bullets were within the weapon. The clip was empty, the chamber was empty, but was Boris's heart? Sighing again, he knew he'd still have to do something, rather than leave the man before him bleed to death without his face.

Grabbing the haemorrhaging chaos before him, he pushed the man back again, and once more into the blades, this time more thoroughly. Roland's skull exploded and he shut up. Grey matter, or bits of brain as some would call it, scattered everywhere, with pieces sticking to Boris's face and chin. That had been particularly unpleasant, and he hoped he'd never have to do anything of the sort again.

His enemy was dead. Had the man gone out defiantly, without trying to negotiate for his life, he'd have reckoned himself the only one left. He would have boarded the chopper and finally escaped. A funny thing fate. Turning, he rushed back to opening in the deck. He had noticed the crane there, and it seemed to be his only means of rescue for his friends. If they were still alive, they could escape with him. As he made for the control panel hope flushed through him again. It was a welcome feeling.

* * *

Her opponent had got her well. Lunging from the shadows, Karen had quickly floored that girl she had hated so much. Clasped in her hands was a syringe, its needle menacingly poised. Karen would use it to end Sarah's sadistic life in a relatively clean way. This poison would do for her, and everyone would be avenged, everyone who had come on this trip and died, and that included Steve.

Breaking away, Sarah managed to wriggle free. The last minute or so had been desperately trying to evade the jabbing motions Karen had been making with the needle. That hadn't been much of a challenge though, since Karen hadn't wanted to risk smashing the syringe against the decking and rendering it useless. Because of that, they had been slow attempts, and Sarah had managed to escape with the luck of the devil.

Hurrying round the corner of the stacked crates, which could have been landmarks in this particular great battle, had they not been so similar, Karen rushed after her nemesis. She didn't see it before it was too late. A sickening squelch alerted her that she had just trodden in something.

Sarah stopped and turned. Then a smile crossed her lips, the one that Karen hated so much. Bursting into laughter, she appeared to be having trouble keeping her sides from splitting.

"You stupid bitch", she guffawed, and then, packing maximum scorn into her follow up statement; "You just stepped in your boyfriend."

Indeed, remnants of Steve were now trapped in the sole of Karen's boots. She gazed down at the unrecognisable carcass, a pulpy mess of salivary flesh and semi-digested gunk, almost unable to accept that it had once been a human, and a human she had held a candle for at that. Tears trickled from her eyes as emotion began to overwhelm her. They had never been an item, though Karen had wanted to. No, instead, Sarah, a femme fatale as it where, had lured Steve in. Though not being bad looking at all, Karen had nevertheless been unable to match up with Sarah's "perfect" appearance that had been the demise of the young man. Or she felt that way anyway.

"Don't worry it, you can pick off shit like that with a stick", Sarah taunted her. It was too much. Shrieking with hatred, Karen lunged forward, and plunged the syringe into Sarah's neck, pressing down on the plunger to deliver the dosage quickly. Sarah shrieked as well, but for an entirely different reason, as the cold steel dart penetrated her flesh. She fell back and skittered away, clutching at her point of assault. Feeling her enemy was done for; Karen left Sarah to die the death that she deserved.

* * *

Coated in films of a fine sticky material that they couldn't remove, the three dashed from here to there around the cargo bay, desperately trying to avoid jaws, which in turn where desperately trying to bite into them. Since there was only two monsters and three of them, splitting up had managed to confuse the ravenous pursuers. David, however, felt that this system of co-operation could only go on for so long. Sooner or later, he was sure that their tormentors would wise up and co-operate themselves.

The situation was becoming ever more frantic; as if such was possible under the current circumstances. At this moment, the lizard which had been pounding after Jo had given up the chase, turned away like a tank seeking a new target, and given chase to him instead. Despite his fear, he preferred it. Whatever happened he would protect his love; whatever happened. Still, it didn't mean he would stand still and out in the open like a lemon. Nope, he was running as fast as he could, faster than any other time in his life.

He was quite close to the entrance, the great chasm they had plummeted through, and a glorious and wide pillar of light coming from the opening, in which a majestic orange sky was visible miles above. It was beginning to fade. Soon the day would end; as would their lives.

Never did he think that salvation would come from the heavens, but it did. With huge groans, the dirty, oily hook and chain descended from a powerful crane arm and into the pit, an escape, and the only escape available. It was beautiful.

Above, Boris peered down, speechless after so much had happened. He gestured where his words couldn't explain, and David, at that moment, pulverised his lower limbs into maximum action, making the greatest sprint of his life for it. Within feet of being saved, he practically skidded upon his heels. Jo, and Jim. He couldn't leave them. Returning his own gesture, a defiant shake of the head, he spun back and went after them. If he could get them out one at a time, it was quite possible that rescue would come relatively easy. And, if he could just avoid this gigantic monster…Jumping aside from the charging reptile, like a bullfighter would leap aside from a rampaging bull at the crucial moment, he rushed back into the dark maze, while the Metriacanthosaur knocked over another heap of crates, sending them all crashing to the deck.

"Jo!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Jim! Where are you? Come with me quick. There's a way out! There's a way out!"

To Jim this sounded like simple optimism. Rounding a corner he then spied the crane winch. It was anything but optimism. He ran for it. All he could focus on was survival. He hoped dearly that Jo and David made it as well, but for now, and with the bonus of having no snarling beasts currently behind him, he was in the clear to make a getaway.

Latching onto the swinging chain of freedom, he was elated. Boris, observing from up top, made to draw him to safety.

"Jo!" he called again, but David was clueless to where she was. He could hear her screams, but he couldn't find her at all in the shadowy labyrinth. Suspended in the darkness, he stopped, and listened. At desperate times like this he prayed that his sense of sound would fill in what his eyes couldn't see. His ears probed the surrounding area for any possible clue. Proximity, direction, anything at all that might help pinpoint her location. The noise seemed to be coming closer at least; if he stayed where he was, and both charged down that very path, it was possible that he could save her and get both of them to the winch before they were slaughtered. But what's the use? Throat bulging with anxiety; he felt weak at the knees and could only hear "we are not getting out of this one" echo throughout his mind, and a grim suggestion of "give up." If we even get to the crane, he thought, we'd be snatched off it. He sighed. At least he could die with his love; together. Standing firm, he waited, anticipating both love and beast emerging from the gloom soon.

But the he was alerted to the other guy; another presence which had been with him ever since he had entered this pitch black hell. The purr, not all dissimilar to that of a cheetah, and a sound that made the hair stand up on the back of his neck, and which sent shudders down his spine, bubbled out from its owner which sounded as if it was in extreme proximity. There were no big cats on board, David felt sure of that. He knew what it was though, and it was something much more lethal than some flimsy spotted mammalian carnivore from the African plains.

* * *

This was the one. That stupid pink and fleshy bipedal being, standing mere metres away, and who thought its species so smart that it reckoned that it was the most intelligent creature alive, was the one he had been hunting for all that time. Success for achieving such stealth for so long just showed how arrogant and dim-witted these creatures were. And now the hunt had finally drawn to a close.

Ever since his breeding partner, a life-mate, had been brutally slaughtered by this man, in an unmotivated attack, slashing her to death with a steel and razor claw, he had wanted to reap what was justice. He knew he would never mate again. His partner was gone. Now, he would deny the lover of this monster before him the same thing he himself had been denied; for the rest of her days the human he had no personal grudge against would suffer the agony of losing her own mate.

Humans. He knew what they were. Ignorant of what he was. It was the Raptor, which nature had built for the kill. That was the basis for the laws of instinct. His mate had just been curious, investigating an unusual presence down by the stream. Nothing hostile at all. Why would she have wasted valuable energy on a couple of foolish beings who didn't know what they were doing? Had she known she would lose her life doing so, she would have stayed away. But that is not how it happened. Fate had taken a different course.

Clacking toe claws against the floor, like an ominous clue to the satisfaction that was to come, he paced forward. Standing frozen to the spot, the one known as David appeared to brace himself. The situation had become much too complicated for him to escape alive, yet alone unscathed, and he was preparing himself for death's embrace. Another step forward and they were seeing eye to eye.

Staring into the human's strange mammalian eyes, he could read terror. Perfect. It would be a mirror to the last strangulated thoughts which occurred in his own mate's mind, as she lay there bleeding to death, her life ebbing away as the stream waters flowed gently past.

This time, rather than purr, he let out a predatory hiss, to let his prey know that its time was up. After all, that is all humans were anyway; prey. He had seen them before, though very rarely. When he had, he had always noticed them as a species easy to intimidate, and when panicked, easy to take. It was his species who were built for predation after all; a human being merely possessed the know-how of being able to obtain such skills.

The time for redemption was now.

It would be the end.

Well, it would have been, had the second Metriacanthosaurus not arrived at that precise moment. Spotting the rival predator, it bellowed at the raptor and lost all interest in any human prey. With a severely pissed-off screech, he was flung as the larger lizard butted him in the chest, an impact that could have been fatal to a lesser species.

It laid into him, its jaws raking across his flesh and tearing through scaly hide. The larger beast could not, however, get an effective grasp onto the wriggling body it almost had caught. It knew perfectly well that only biting down would stop the Velociraptor from proving to be a worthy adversary. The smaller, smarter and considerably more dexterous creature writhed to escape its temporary incarceration, clamped between two tremendous powers of brute force.

* * *

Never had any of them thought that such a terrifying monster could ever be of any use to them personally. But that's just how the Metriacanthosuar's arrival could be viewed, as it struggled with the angry raptor, which desperately tried to escape its tooth lined cage. This turn of events essentially occupied both beasts, leaving a window open for escape. Both David, and Jim who had just arrived on the scene, felt it, their emotions close to a feeling of exhilaration. But then there was another factor. Jo. She was still running, possibly trapped somewhere, or dead. David didn't want to dwell on the latter. He gulped, and shook his head at Jim. Jim understood perfectly.

"I won't leave your side", he whispered, in tones of a dedication only a true friend could ever utter, "We'll get her out of here."

And with that, they both ran into the darkness. The two reptilian creatures tussled like a dog trying to devour a cat.

* * *

The ferocious roars and hissing snaps of a deadly pursuer had ceased now. And Jo hoped it wouldn't start up again. She had managed to throw the dinosaur off the scent. Or it appeared so, judging by the beast lurking around the hold, clueless to where its prey had got to. Had it looked up, it may have learnt the new hiding place of the small mammal. It didn't though, evidently having never suspected its dinner to have been smart enough to try and escape upwards.

Nevertheless, Jo was kept tense, rigidly alert to what might happen next. She focused on the large predator. She contemplated making a run for it. She had heard shouts that there was a way out now. All she had to do was sprint for her life, and there was a chance she would make it. It was incredibly frightening to think about, yet alone pull off, but she knew she couldn't stay perched atop a pile of crates forever. If David was here, she thought, yearning for his company in such dire consequences.

A noise behind her made her turn. There he was, he had come back to rescue her. It was both stupid and brave, and she felt partially angry for him to try such a suicidal act. But her appreciation overruled all of that, and she looked longingly at him and at a potentially cheerful near future.

He hadn't noticed her, and was quickly making his way around the base of the crates. In seconds he would be in full view of the…

"No", she yelled at the top of her lungs.

The presence of new targets was too much for the Metriacanthosaur. It lunged at the newcomers as they emerged in front of it, jaws parted and ready to mutilate. Barely missing him, David quickly realised how fast he was able to get himself into such a lethal situation. He fell to the deck, as a powerful snapping maw closed where his head would have been. He didn't stay there long, sprinting up and forward, before that same set of jaws could try again.

Jim flanked around the predator, in a bid to try and distract it. It didn't work. Above him Jo was making her way down from her refuge point. It appeared to buckle a little beneath her, indicating it might not be very stable. It wasn't and collapsed, causing her to sprawl in a mess. Jim rushed to free her from the mass of heavy crates, hoping that she hadn't been hurt in the fall.

David had only managed to get himself deeper and deeper into trouble. He was cornered, and though he knew that he could scramble up the wall of those blasted crates in record time, he also knew he still wouldn't be able to do it fast enough. There was no escape, unless…As the razor lined maw came at him, he ducked and dived between the legs of the Metriacanthosaur. The beast tried to follow him through, but instead clamped down onto the deck between its feet, off balancing it and causing it to fall over quite comically. David would have laughed had he not been so preoccupied in trying to save his life.

Reunifications were brief as the three became a group once more and for the last time. Now they would run. They would carry themselves as fast as possible to that liberating crane winch.

A thought crossed Jim's mind at that point. Karen.

"Shit!" he cursed.

An irate snort alerted them that the beast had managed to pick itself up from its humiliation a few moments earlier. They would indeed have to run fast. They started off as soon as the creature charged. A few seconds into the desperate dash, David tried to block their imminent deaths from his mind. He knew perfectly well that they couldn't outrun such a creature, yet he tried to stick to the concept that survival was possible.

Something whipped past his ear at that moment. It had been thrown like a knife, but it was no blade. It had been a plastic tube…a syringe of green fluid in fact, though its appearance as a semi-transparent blur was nearer to what it resembled while it was airborne. A stifled roar sounded out, and the clanging of massive toe claws against the dock halted. Turning, he was given a sight that issued him a new reason for joy, and a gift he had deserved. The monster wasn't going to cause him trouble anymore. It had suddenly lost interest in playing the part of predator, and lurched slowly and sickly away. It seemed they were now in the clear.

* * *

Karen emerged out of the shadows. It was a sight that would stay with her for the rest of her life. The looks of relief and delight on their faces, it was certainly something to treasure. She smiled, her fatal blow done. Those vials evidently had contained something indeed strong, especially if it had the power to dispatch a creature of such proportions – thrown like a dart; it had struck accurately and lethally.

"That's it", she said, elated, "They're all gone. I killed the first one, and that one has mere minutes to live. We can go home." It was indeed a day of redemption for Steve; her day. Those creatures had killed him. She had returned the favour.

Silently, they made their way to the winch where Boris was waiting, somewhat thankful that they had managed to survive their ordeal without his assistance. It had been anguishing to watch, but it was over now. They were coming out, and they could escape; the only survivors of the expedition.

* * *

Gazing up at the last remnants of daylight, David could not put words to the emotions he felt at that time. They were getting out, finally, and now nothing could prevent that. Darting his head around at that thought, his eyes probed the immediate area. Just nerves, he thought. And he tried to adopt a more optimistic point of view from thereon. Seeing Jo ascend into the light certainly helped. She was hauled onto the deck by Boris and into the open air. It had never felt so rewarding, and so sweet, to once again be topside and alive.

Within moments David would experience that as well. He almost felt giddy with excitement. Hissing emanated from behind him. He turned, as did Karen and Jim. Not now, he thought, not now I was so close. It was all too much.

The Velociraptor, one that Karen had been totally unaware of, judging by the look on her face, stared at the group. Its eyes fixated on David's. It was clear who it wanted.

"Go", he said sadly to the other two.

Jim felt a thousand thoughts burn in his mind at that moment. What could he do? He knew the answer. Anything. He could do anything to safe his friend.

As the Raptor lowered itself to the floor, its muscles tensed for a lethal strike and killing blow, Jim ran at it. He threw his arms around its neck, and practically rode its back like a bucking bronco. It was a short-lived ride, and the prehistoric predator, a veteran of fighting and killing, quickly gained the upper hand upon its assailant.

"Go", Jim yelled his last word, the same as his friend had uttered seconds ago, but with much more impact. He tried to hang onto the creature, but was quickly pulled beneath it, and towards those deadly feet, which stamped in fury.

Before anything else could happen, David felt himself being tugged skyward. Having been so shocked, Karen had evidently attached the winch to him without him realising and he was now in assured safety. It would have been an experience matching the best day of his life. It wasn't. His friend's sacrifice would be an eternal memento to the very power of friendship.

Karen looked in horror. She knew it was too late for Jim. He lay there, motionless, but still alive, as his guts were spewed out by those powerful legs. Entrails stamped, and blood gushing, he felt himself slip away. With a glossy gaze he looked up towards the light. At least his last view would be of a pleasant sunset sky.

With a final, and difficult, nod of the head, he gestured to Karen to follow suit.

Teary eyed she took a hold of the winch. It pulled her upwards. No more dying, she thought, no more, no more. Above her Boris waited anxiously for her safe arrival into his arms. Once she was there, he kept telling himself, they could form a closer friendship under better circumstances. Soon, she would be with him, and they could all get out of there. They could all escape from Hell. Arms outstretched, he waited for contact. Metres away. Then perhaps a few feet. Ten inches. Five centimetres. Six feet. No, his mind desperately tried to make sense of what had just happened. It didn't make any sense. It couldn't happen. Not now. She was safe. She was safe, damn it.

"No more dying", he boomed at the monstrous Metriacanthosaur, drawing the pistol, before remembering it was lacking ammunition. Was there nothing else to use? He feared not.

But the tremendous bite force around Karen's waist loosened. The monster fell back and away. The deadly chemicals it had taken in, chemicals given to it by that very girl, were causing the final effect. As it fell to the floor, Karen was finally returned to Boris. He held her in his arms.

"I'm hurt", she spluttered almost silently, "I won't make it."

"No, you will", he said, pleading for her to hang on. His grip was tight at first. He loosened it in fear that it might hurt her even more otherwise. But he still kept her in his arms, as she became the last victim of a terrible journey.

"I won't", she whispered, her voice faltering. Such an attack had caused critical damage to her, of a sort that she could never recover from. She wasn't going to make it. Not even after so much had happened. So many near misses with death, and now, she is eventually reaped at the very last moment, at the hands of the very last source of danger. It shouldn't have happened. It wasn't fair.

"I'm sorry", she uttered her last words, barely floating out of her mouth as she went limp. The sound of the waves slapping the side of the hull, the low roar of the burning fires at the stern of the ship, the soft caress of a sea breeze, and Karen's fading out of existence; were all that Boris could sense at that moment.

All there was to do now was escape. And with an aircraft prepped and ready, it was simply a matter of boarding the machine and leaving this place of fear and death. They would do just that. But for one last moment, Boris knelt there, with Karen's form, and contemplated what could have been.


	20. Aftermath

It was getting dark and staying here any longer than they had to, was unappealing to say the least. Climbing around inside old burnt-out wrecks just wasn't what he felt they were there for. But then again, he wasn't the top man on the operation, and had to do what the superiors demanded.

"What's the point in all this anyway, Jal?" the young and scruffy worker asked his contemporary, who showed an equal distaste for his current location.

"Oh, you know", he muttered, "Cover our tracks, I guess. And search for stuff, too."

He was referring to the exact reason why the vessels had come to be like this in the first place. The previous owners had turned out to be a nuisance, and then a threat, so their transport had been destroyed. In amongst the debris, though, it was always worth looking to see what one could discover. They had been experienced hunters after all, and anything, so long as it had survived the explosion, might come in handy. At least that's what the philosophy adopted by the person who had ordered them to this dictated. Sarah, her name was a new lead figure to boss them around, after a particularly nasty encounter with the surviving hunting party on the ship.

He cursed those hunters there and then. His accomplice chuckled. Because of them, it had apparently thrown everything, such as research, back months in development. That vessel where there was the slaughter, the one containing the shipment of predators, couldn't be salvaged now. Not with the US Navy and local governments scouring the oceans after the explosive finale onboard had alerted them to its presence. It was doomed to float forever more; a phantom upon the waves.

Overall, it meant more work for him, and tougher than this little sweep of a pair of wreckages. He still muttered angry words though, having concluded that it was pointless to be spending so much time on decimated boats ages ago.

"I don't know what's going to happen now", the other man said, "Its all been wiped out. That ship was carrying the most advanced research."

"What do you think will happen then?" the first man asked.

"Damned if I know", he answered, "They're gone, and that's one thing you can be sure of. It's a pity those hunter bastards were so damn lucky; the amount of shit we've been dropped in."

Something caught his eye at that moment. Something lodged underneath a piece of burnt timber. Stooping down, he cautiously removed the shared wood to investigate the strange material.

It had looked organic from his vantage point, and indeed it was. Feeling the fragile object in his hands, it soon came to him; it was part of an egg shell.

"Here, come take a look at this", he exclaimed, taking a sudden interest in his occupation.

The other man came and crouched down beside him. A noise startled them both, as they looked up, and with great surprise, discovered that they were staring face to face with what was to potentially be one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet.

The bluish bipedal lizard was incredibly small, and putting two and two together, the men decided that the egg shell they were holding had once belonged to this animal. It was of such a size that the possibility of it ever being a threat never came across the minds of the two. They both chuckled.

"Hello. What the hell are you?" one of them breathed.

"Never mind", replied the other, "Just grab it and we can get out of here. I'm sure our new boss will be pleased with our find, especially if it's the same species as those that were on the ship."

"Doubt it", the other said, "Those things were apparently monsters."

After a final exchange of laughter, the man managed to scoop the baby Metriacanthosaur up with the aid of some leather cloth, and nestled it under his arm. It didn't weigh much, and the animal was fortunately passive towards this new experience. Now, satisfied that they weren't going back empty handed, they both left the dead hulks of metal, and walked off into the night confident that they had done well. Neither understood the full extent to the significance of this small creature though; and they never would.


End file.
